InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Expect the Unexpected ❯ Rising Sun (Golden Eyes) ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha…is this really necessary?

Chapter Twelve: Rising Sun (Golden Eyes)

Kagome screamed Inuyasha’s name again, but there was no response. Her hanyou was not moving at all. Tears slid carelessly down her cheeks as she fell by his side, shaking him frantically. No matter how she begged him, how she threatened him, he did not respond. Inuyasha did not respond at all. His eyes were so dull.

She had given up hope and thrown her head down upon his chest to weep when she caught the slight sound. A rasping breath came from the hanyou, small and scarcely noticeable, but still there. Inuyasha was still alive, if barely.

The hanyou’s laboured breath echoed in her ears, relief flooding her at that small sound. A quiet rumbling behind her, brought Kagome’s attention to the dark form standing just out of arm’s reach. Chills ran up her spine at being so close to the thing that had turned out to be so evil, so disgustingly cruel, but Kagome ignored them, and felt only the rising heat of anger. This thing had hurt Inuyasha, had nearly killed him, and had tortured both his mind and body.

Kagome could not help but feel the fiery anger taking her mind, much like the time she had killed Naraku. But this time is was different. When she had killed Naraku, she had been killing something that had done evil to so many others, a thing that had caused grief in many lives. And while she did not doubt that this Hojo-thing had caused sadness for many as well, that was not what drove her anger. Her own pain and grief, at Hojo’s torturing, his betrayal, the entire lie that he was, married to her anger at him for hurting Inuyasha, the man she loved, drove that furious spike in her mind. Kagome felt the fire within her and could feel the power lying just beneath it. If only she could find some way to release it.

***

Hojo smiled on, but his eyes glinted with a malicious pleasure as he looked down at the scene before him…the little girl kneeling over her fallen lover, tears still in her eyes. The innocent smile widened disarmingly, and his eyes grew a hazy crimson. That sight was making him lose control of the carefully crafted façade. He had waited so long to see this…so many years.

He had planned for centuries his sweet revenge, but things had not worked out as he had hoped. His revenge was not as sweet as he would have liked. The thing that now called itself Hojo had watched the two lovers for years after Naraku had been destroyed, had watched them live their happy lives together. He had longed to destroy that love they shared, to end their happiness, but he had had no opportunity. Instead he had waited for the time to come, when he could gain an even greater revenge.

After watching the hanyou with his woman, Hojo had learned the full secret of the mysterious well. He had hardly been able to contain his glee. Unfortunately, it had turned out to be true that only those two could pass through the well, so he had been forced to wait many years to enact his plan. It had given him time to prepare, though, to gather his strength for his coming victory. And it had been worth it.

It had taken him all this time to gather the power to create a moonless night during the day, but seeing how delightfully it had turned out, it had been a thing worth waiting for. Inuyasha’s spirit had been crushed far more than the bones in his body. Knowing that he could not protect the girl he loved so dearly, had obviously hurt the hanyou more than anything else Hojo could have done. And Hojo delighted in it.

Of course his full revenge had been defeated by the damned hanyou when he had somehow repaired the damage in their relationship that Hojo had so carefully crafted. If only he could have had his full revenge…Hojo had been waiting centuries to see the look on the hanyou’s face when he found the woman he loved, in the arms of another. That damned hanyou! That had been the greatest part of the revenge. And the drive to have her…it was very strong…even now that the hanyou was broken, Hojo had to have her.

His eyes lit gleefully as the girl stood and faced him, tracing her form before focusing on her own fiery eyes. He saw her shudder at his look, and felt himself quiver with anticipation…She would hate every minute, but she would be his. Perhaps he would even let her live for a while, to be his and to keep her from meeting her love any time soon. Hojo could feel his façade unravelling, his nature finally slipping from its long concealment. It was time…time to have what he had waited for so long.

***

Kagome shuddered in revulsion as the thing called Hojo eyed her with what was obvious desire. His eyes were growing a deeper and deeper red with each moment, and the air about him seemed to be darkening. Kagome felt his demonic presence now, felt it more and more every second, as if his disguise were coming apart little by little. Even his form began to blur and darken, so that he soon appeared more a shadow than a person. But his face, no matter how changed, was still Hojo’s. That same bright smile, those same cruel eyes.

Kagome cast her eyes about to find anything to use against this demon. Inuyasha had been carrying her pack with her bow and arrows, but the bow was nowhere to be seen, and the pack itself had been crushed by a fallen lamp post a few feet away. She hesitated to move away from Inuyasha, but Hojo’s attention was wholly upon her now. If anything, it would be best to draw him away from the hanyou.

Kagome edged towards her pack slowly, eyes never leaving the evil demon before her. Hojo’s eyes followed her, but he made no move at all. Kagome’s foot brushed her bag and she slowly knelt and looked inside, glancing at Hojo anxiously. She hadn’t actually had many arrows with her, but the few that were in her pack appeared to be broken, cracked by the post that had fallen on the pack. Kagome felt a wave of relief roll through her as she found two unbroken arrows and pulled them from the savaged pack.

Hojo eyed the two arrows in her hand and seemed to grin scornfully with his eyes. Kagome had yet to find her bow when the demon took a step towards her, his heated gaze on her body making her shiver once again. The demon made a slow but steady advance on the girl and she backed away nervously, gradually drawing him away from her injured hanyou. Kagome caught sight of her bow out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at it. Hojo made an unexpected leap and landed just behind her, grabbing roughly at her shoulder.

Kagome screamed and tore herself from his grip, and she could hear the fabric of her shirt rip in his hand. She ran towards her bow and swooped it up, nocking the arrow as swiftly as she could and aiming for the dark form that still held the torn fabric from her shirt. Kagome released, and she felt the arrow blaze to life.

The arrow burned a path straight at the breast of the shadowy form, who made no move to escape his fate. It exploded in his brilliantly in his chest, and Kagome flinched at the bright light. Her eyes focused once more on where the demon had stood, and found nothing but smoke. A sigh of relief escaped her, but she realized that she still felt his presence…his aura had not vanished. Kagome stared as the smoke coalesced into a human shape, gathering to reveal red eyes once more. Red eyes that smiled maliciously.

“Do you like my true form, Higurashi? This miasma…the very same miasma that Naraku so used, is all that is left for me. You destroyed him so utterly, that only a few wisps were left to sustain my existence as a mere shadow of what he had been. I am not Naraku, Higurashi. I would never have existed had you not killed him. I am not him…but I still remember the desires he felt…and I will fulfill them.”

Kagome could only stare in horror as realization hit her. Her arrows would do nothing against Hojo…he wasn’t even a true demon, just the shade of one. How was she supposed to kill him? He advanced slowly, eyes full of triumph. There wasn’t anything she could do. Inuyasha was half-dead, and her arrows were worthless. They hadn’t even hurt him.

She felt a nagging at the back of her mind, but couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Kagome watched Hojo’s advance in the eerie light from the street lights. That was strange…she hadn’t even been able to see the lights before…it had been too dark, the miasma too thick. It clicked together and she realized what she had been missing.

The miasma was no longer as thick as it had been. Her arrow had purified a large amount of it, and more had had to replace the bit that Hojo had lost. She hadn’t been able to kill him, but it had weakened him. Kagome nocked her last arrow and fired straight into the greatest concentration of the dark cloud, Hojo. Again he made no move to dodge and again the arrow exploded against his form.

The clouds of mist swirled together, gathering into the despised form with once more. Hojo shook his head wryly and stalked towards her once again. “Don’t you learn, Higurashi? I thought you were smarter than that…I will have to show you that you can not defeat me, I suppose. You will submit to me. There is nothing you can do, Higurashi.”

Hojo came ever closer, his eyes promising cruelty, but Kagome stood her ground. She looked down at her dim shadow upon the ground and waited. She had done all she could so far. Hopefully it would be enough…

“Come here, Higurashi…you are mine, now.”

“Don’t you dare touch her, you evil bastard. I’m going to rip your heart out already, but I’d reallybe angry if you hurt Kagome.”

Hojo’s eyes widened in disbelief and he turned to see Inuyasha facing him, silver hair glinting in the dim sunlight that filtered in through the thinning mists. Golden eyes fixed themselves on that dark shade, glowing brilliantly.

End of Chapter Twelve

-Chevalier