InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Echo of Destiny ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Naraku watched the shiny blue marble as it rolled up the stairs… or was it down? He had long since forgotten which way was up. If he looked to his right it appeared he was sitting on a wall, but if he looked left he seemed to be upside down. His hair was no help; it always hung down his back no matter how he was positioned. He watched the sphere turn of its own accord and slip through an arching doorway, only to come out on the other side of the room, rolling smoothly across the ceiling.

“Humph.” The dark haired-man pushed himself to his feet; so much for that plan. He should have known better; the marble was enchanted to stay away from him, sitting and waiting for it to roll past was a waste of time. Though chasing it through the room was just as pointless.

He remembered all too well how he had found himself in such a room. Hades himself had thrown him in, promising him freedom and the return of his powers should he manage to catch the marble-sized sphere. At first he had chased it desperately, not stopping for food or drink – not that he needed it seeing as he was dead. Over time his pace became more sedate as he tired of the game.

Still, he was compelled to chase the sphere; it was, after all, a part of himself. Hades had seen fit to crystallize his power into the orb and bid him to forever pursue it or remain incomplete. If he had his powers, the task would have been over in seconds; he would simply have stretched out one of his many ‘borrowed’ parts and retrieved it.

He stretched out his arm, willing it with all his might to change into something useful. But the limb remained as it was, as it had been ever since he had been trapped in this forsaken room. Human. Naraku sneered in disgust.

In truth he had tried every trick he could think of to catch the blasted thing. He had tried jumping from one side of the room to the other, but it only resulted in a massive case of vertigo that landed him flat on his back on the ceiling. He’d tried breaking off pieces of the floor to throw on the ball, only to have the ground he was standing on collapse out from under him.

Then there was his newest plan. Apparently the room did not take kindly to him being still, because an electric pain was beginning to sizzle its way up his leg. Hissing he started walking again… straight off the platform he had been sitting on. Without missing a beat he was flipped around so he was walking on the underside of the platform. Or perhaps he was now on top. Naraku paused, pursing his lips, as he watched the sphere bounce up a twisted flight of stairs. Gods, how he hated futility.

He kept walking in a straight line, albeit his straight line kept shifting his plane in space. He paced his way up the underside of stairs, through a door, appeared across the room walking perpendicular to the wall, down another set of stairs, off the dead end platform so that he was flipped upside down, and back up the stairs. He kept walking; the steady grind of the marble’s endless rolling across the ground and his footsteps the only sounds. As long as he kept moving, the room did not shock him.

He let a tired sigh escape his lips. He was, for the first time in his life, completely, totally, entirely out of ideas… and he had only been trapped for a fraction of eternity. Damn Hades and his impossible tasks!

Suddenly, he stopped. Something was not right. He stood there, upside down on the underside of a set of diagonally oriented stairs, looking around the room. Something was definitely off, but he could not put his finger on it. The answer came to him as the low hum of absolute silence. The marble had stopped. His head snapped around, desperate to find the orb before it dislodged itself and escaped him.

“Looking for this?” a sweet voice asked. It was a voice he knew all too well. Slowly he turned his crimson eyes towards the goddess. Her long flaxen hair curling gently about her shoulders, icy blue eyes flashing in the origin-less light. She smiled at him; he sneered back.

“Hera,” Her name escaped his lips as a hiss that only made her smile more. She stood, gracefully leaning against a doorframe that, from his prospective, was sideways so that she appeared to be lying down.

“You were expecting Artemis, perhaps? Surely you know that she, of all the gods, would have you rot here.” She rolled the blue marble carelessly between her fingers. Naraku’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you want?” Naraku deliberately folded his hands behind his back. If she thought he was going to bow at her feet, she was sadly mistaken.

“Now is that any way to speak to a goddess?”

“Forgive me, your Majesty,” Naraku spat back.

“Ooh, testy,” She giggled.

“Are you here only to torment me or do you have a purpose?”

Hera pushed off the wall so she stood upright and gave him a coy smile. “Why my dear Naraku,” she purred as she glided towards him, literally; defying the room’s odd gravity until she stopped just out of arm’s reach. “I have better things to do than simply come here to ‘torment’ you.”

“Then what do you want?” Naraku repeated with a growl, his anger and frustrations taking a hold of him. Hera pouted.
“I want you to kill that bothersome little demi-god son of Zeus, Inuyasha.”

“Last I heard, he was dead,” Naraku sniffed. “Don’t tell me the ‘gods’ screwed up.”

“The Fates saw fit to reincarnate him – Artemis’s or Apollo’s doing I’m sure – along with that little pet of his, Kagome or whatever her name is,” Hera’s face screwed up in distaste, distorting her too-perfect features. “I thought I was finally rid of all of my husband’s… indiscretions. I just want him gone.”

Naraku snorted, “Of course, your highness. I’ll get right on it after I get out of this room.”

“I’ll get you out,” Hera rolled her eyes delicately. “I’ll even give you back your power.” Naraku raised an eyebrow curiously, then frowned.

“What’s the catch?”

“Not so trusting, are we?” Hera pouted mockingly, before breaking into a coy smile. “You’re right of course. I can’t have you running around unleashed and with no way to hold you to your end of the bargain, now can I?” Hera smiled and rolled the blue sphere between two fingers. “So what will it be; a curse, slowly turning you to stone every time you disobey me?” Naraku did not rise to her bait and she gave a mock sigh. “Fine, be a grump. I’ll just do this.” She snapped her fingers and there was a blinding flash of light.

“What did you do?” Naraku growled, even as he felt the pulse of power flowing deliciously through his veins.

“I exchanged your power for your soul,” Hera said simply, her mouth twisting into a serious smile. “If you screw up, I will destroy it, and you’ll wish I had left you here.”

&&&

Inuyasha’s eyes snapped open. He was simply awake; no groggy morning stretching or yawns. One moment he was asleep and the next he was fully aware of the world around him. It took a moment, however, for him to remember where he was and how he got there. He sat up and looked down. Kagome lay next to him, still asleep under the soft silk sheets and light comforter.

His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out why he woke. His ears twitched at a faint clink from downstairs. A frown twisted his lips; they were miles from the nearest house, no one should be here. Swinging his legs to the ground, careful not to wake his wife as he did, Inuyasha got out of bed. He picked the sword up off the floor where he had left it last night, only briefly wondering why he even bothered with the rusty piece of crap.

Silently he crept down the stairs, his ears perked to catch the slightest noise. As he reached the bottom of the stairs he was sure that someone was in the kitchen. Inuyasha was thankful for the marble floors; unlike the hardwood ones at home that creaked underfoot, it remain absolutely silent.

Inuyasha peered around the corner into the dining room. From his position he could only see a sliver of the kitchen, but it was enough to show the light of a fire dancing across the wall. A shadow moved into view and Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed. Keeping close to the wall, which he noted was icy in the morning, he made his way to the kitchen door.

He sniffed quietly, taking in any information the air had to offer. He could smell meat just beginning to cook, eggs, and fresh bread. He also scented a demon. His lips curled into a snarl instinctively. In an instant, he was through the door and bearing down on the intruder. There was a frightened yelp and flash of red, and Inuyasha found himself pinning a young fox demon to the far wall.

The boy, if he could be called that, was only a few years younger than Inuyasha himself, with long red hair and bright green eyes. He wore very plain white clothes, little more then a piece of cloth cinched with a piece of rope. The boy did not move, even as Inuyasha held him off the floor against the wall.

“Please, Master Inuyasha, I did not mean to wake you. I promise I’ll be quieter from now on!” His voice was small and pleading. Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his head and he dropped the boy on the ground. The fox demon seemed to instantly recover and hurried into a huddling bow at Inuyasha’s feet. “Thank you, Master, I am forever grateful for your mercy.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened and he took a step backwards. “What did you call me?” The boy slowly raised his eyes from the floor, a lost look on his face. “I said, what did you call me!”

“… Master…?”

“Oh, for the love of…!” Inuyasha turned on his heels and walked out of the room. He kept walking until he had stepped out onto the sand and looked out over the sea. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind, and closed his eyes. The sound of the lapping waves filled his ears and the fresh morning breeze teased his nose. It was hard to believe such a peaceful place was making him crazy.

“Master Inuyasha?” The boy’s hesitant voice made itself known behind him. Inuyasha half turned to see him standing at the top of the two small stairs leading to the beach. His green eyes were confused and a little afraid.
Inuyasha sighed. “What’s your name?”

“Shippou, Master,” The boy bit his lip and bowed his head. “Forgive me for waking you, it won’t happen again.”

After all that had happened, he was almost afraid to ask, but the question found voice before he could stop it. “Why do you keep calling me Master?”

Shippou’s head came up just enough for him the peer quizzically through his bangs. “… Because I am your slave, Master Inuyasha.” Inuyasha’s stomach did a sickly sort of flop.

“Slave?”

“Yes, Master,” Shippou answered. “My family has served you for a long time. My grandfather was a present from Zeus himself.” The boy puffed out his chest as if a person being a present from anyone else was something to be proud of. Inuyasha was sure he was going to be sick. It must have shown on his face. “Do you need me to go to the healer, Master? You don’t look well.”

“No! No…” Inuyasha stuttered. He took a deep breath to steady his quickly fraying nerves. “No, thank you… I just need to think.”

“Yes, Master,” Shippou bowed again and disappeared into the house. Inuyasha turned back to the sea, a headache beginning to join his churning stomach. This day was not starting out well.

Inuyasha stared out over the water, trying to sort everything out. After several minutes the half-demon shook his head and turned back inside. He could hear Shippou in the kitchen, doing his best to stay as quiet as possible. Upstairs he found Kagome still fast a sleep, undisturbed by the earlier commotion.

Inuyasha sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at his sleeping wife. She was still dressed in her clothes form the previous day, since they had nothing else to wear. Her hair fanned out across the pillow. With a soft smile on his lips, he gently brushed some hair away with the back of his hand. Kagome stirred and opened her eyes.

“Inuyasha.” She took his hand and smiled. “I had the strangest dream. The boat sank and we ended up in Atlantis. Then the people thought -”

His smile faded as he put his finger to her lips to stop her. “It wasn’t a dream, Kagome.”
Her brow furrowed and she sat up, looking around. After a moment she sighed. “Damn. Now what?”

“Breakfast, I guess,” He shifted uncomfortably. Kagome raised a curious eyebrow. “There’s just one little problem... the guy, boy, whatever, who is cooking it...”

“Yeah...?” Kagome pressed.

“He says... he’s our slave.” Inuyasha answered. The declaration was followed by a perfect beat of silence.

“Tell me you’re joking!” Kagome squeaked. Inuyasha shook his head. She leaned forward and let her head fall against his chest with a sigh. “This is not starting well.” Inuyasha gently wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her closer. He took a deep breath in through his nose, taking in her gentle scent. Had it really only been two days since he had last held her this close?

“Inuyasha, what are those?” Kagome’s voice broke into his thoughts and he pulled away slightly. Following her line of sight, he noticed two neatly folded pieces of cloth at the foot of their bed. One was a rich gold and black, while the other was deep green with gold highlights. Curious, Kagome crawled closer and picked up the green one.

The silk unfolded easily in her hands, falling so that it just brushed the floor. It was unlike the clothes they had seen so far. Where the clothes they now wore were gathered at the shoulders, this one had long, sheer gold draping from the shoulders that hung to the floor. The skirt and bodice were full and loose while the midriff was tight and decorated with crisscrossing gold rope.

“I wonder where this came from,” Kagome said, turning the cloth over to look at the back.

“At this point, I don’t want to know,” Inuyasha answered, picking up the other piece. It was nearly identical to the one he wore now, only the fabric and color had changed. “Let’s just not ask anymore questions.” He pulled off the cotton clothes and replaced them with the silk. He noticed a loop at the hip of the fabric, perfect for holding the sword. With a shrug he stuffed it through, thankful he would not have to carry it around anymore.

“Can we go down to breakfast now?” Kagome asked as she smoothed the green silk out.

“Sure, sweetheart.” He took her hand and led her down the stairs. In the dining room the boy, Shippou, was carefully setting the table. The plates and goblets were all gold while the only utensil, a knife, seemed to be made of bronze. Plates of fresh fruit, bread, cheese, and sliced meats were laid out on golden trays. The two goblets were filled to the brim with a golden colored liquid and two smaller cups held what looked like wine. The young fox demon stood near the kitchen door, his eyes on the floor but his attention on them.

“Breakfast is served.” He bowed deeply. Kagome looked over at him curiously, then up at her husband. Inuyasha nodded and she frowned. Then a smile crossed her face

“Would you care to join us?” she asked. Shippou peered at her through his bangs and blinked in confusion.

“If that is what my Mistress wishes,”

“It is. Pull up a chair.” Kagome nodded firmly as she took her seat and Inuyasha took the other.

“There are no more chairs, Mistress. I will stand.” Shippou disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a stone plate and cup. He moved to one of the long sides of the table and set the items down. He stood and waited patiently as the two gods selected their morning meal from the dishes, before taking only a piece of flatbread and an apple for himself. His cup he filled with water.

“Is that all you are going to have?” Kagome asked as she broke a piece of cheese from the wedge on her plate. “You worked hard on this meal. Eat whatever you want.” She gestured towards the plate of meats and a look akin to horror crossed the young man’s face.

“But, Mistress, that wouldn’t be proper,”

“Humor us,” Inuyasha grunted and pushed the meat towards him. The fox cringed away, uncertainty written clearly across his face. His gaze shifted from the plate to each of them in turn, then finally back to the meat. Looking as if any moment lightning would surely come out of the sky to strike him dead, he carefully took a slice of meat from the plate and set it on his own. He jumped when Inuyasha reached for an apple.

“See, that’s not so bad,” Kagome smiled. “Eat up.” The young slave nodded mutely and took a cautious bite out of the meat, looking for all the world like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Inuyasha watched in mild amusement as his wife encouraged the boy to eat his fill. He was sure there was some cultural thing or other he was missing, because the boy was obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

Still watching, Inuyasha picked up his goblet and brought it to his lips. The golden liquid inside surprised him. It was sweet, but like nothing he had tasted before. If he had to put a name to it, it would be honey-ish with hints of fruit and milk. Sweet, but not overpoweringly so. It was smooth, but thicker than he would have expected - like thin syrup. When it hit his stomach it sent out a warmth that radiated to the tips of his fingers and toes and made him feel momentarily lightheaded.

“What is this?” Inuyasha asked. “It’s pretty good.”

Shippou choked on a bite of cheese Kagome had cajoled him into eating in his haste to answer. “It’s ambrosia, Master.”

“Really?” Kagome asked, taking a sip.

“Yes, Mistress,”

“It’s very good. You should try some of this, too,” Kagome offered him her glass. Inuyasha was sure the boy was going to faint. All the color drained from his face and he stared at the goblet as if it would attack him at any moment.

“Please, Mistress. Do not tempt me with such things. I am not worthy of godly foods.” He took a step back and Kagome frowned.

“Enough with this Master and Mistress stuff,” Inuyasha cut in.

“B-b-but...” Shippou sputtered.

“Look,” Inuyasha cut him off. “A lot of things have changed since Atlantis sank. Slavery is no longer practiced. So from this moment on, you’re free.”

If Inuyasha had hoped to calm the boy he was sadly mistaken. The fox demon let out a horrified scream and literally threw himself at Inuyasha’s feet. He looked close to tears and very desperate. “Please, Master Inuyasha! Whatever I have done to displease you, I will make it better. I swear it! Please, I do not want to become prey for Artemis’s hounds. Give me another chance, I beg you.”

“Alright! Alright!” Inuyasha held up his hands. “I won’t free you. But stop with the Master and Mistress stuff, it’s disturbing.” Shippou nodded and quickly composed himself. Kagome stared on wide-eyed from across the table.

“I think I’m full,” Kagome said slowly. “I’m going to go out into the garden.” Inuyasha nodded in agreement and rose from his chair. Shippou, who looked embarrassed, kept his head down as he went about cleaning up the dishes. Inuyasha followed his wife as she passed through the large double doors into the courtyard. Kagome walked over to the fountain and sat down on the rim, peering down into the water.

“That was... strange,” she offered as Inuyasha took a seat beside her.

“Strange as opposed to what?”

“Touche`,” She giggled and leaned back against him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. For a long time they just sat there, enjoying the morning sun and the smell of the garden. “It is peaceful here though.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “But I still want to go home.”
“Me too, Kagome.” Inuyasha gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Me too.”

“Umm... my Lord and Lady?” Shippou tentatively interrupted the moment.

“Just call us by our names,” Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed.

Shippou bowed slightly, his face screwed up as he seemed to consider his next words carefully. “I was wondering if you wished to attend today’s festivities. I can ready your steed if you wish.”

“What festivities?” Kagome asked as she opened her eyes and sat up slightly.

Shippou smiled slightly, “The city is holding a festival to celebrate your return. It is, of course, not required that you attend if you do not wish to.”

Inuyasha looked down at his wife and shrugged. “What do you want to do?”

“It seems rude for us not to attend a party in our honor.”

“Then I guess we’re going.” Inuyasha said as he stood and helped her to her feet. Shippou bowed deeply and hurried out the front gates towards the stable.