InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eyes to Life ❯ Scroll One ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: InuYashaReader 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Hentai / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 03.22.2011 | Updated On: 03.22.2011 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 340 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Hentai / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 03.22.2011 | Updated On: 03.22.2011 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 340 | Status: Work In Progress
Scroll One:
---
"Ugh, damn it!"
The impatient hanyou grumbled as he held his foot up, trying to get a piece of wood that had embedded into his toe. "Kagome, I don't need your help."
"Oh, quit complaining!" Kagome huffed. Kagome sighed and looked up in the sky; the birds flew over head as the sun started to sink into the Earth once more.
"You know, you better fix it before nightfall, InuYasha." Sango said.
"Stupid night of the new moon!" InuYasha huffed. "Man, I hate being a human!"
"Well, there hasn't been any sign of youkai that has attacked for Kagome's Shikon no Tama shards." Miroku said.
"Right houshi…" Sango gave him a look. Kirara purred on her shoulder, her two tails flicked with ease. Shippo had found himself a nice place in a small bush nearby, and for some reason, he was practicing his fox fire.
"Shippo?" Kagome asked.
"Yea?"
"You mind not burning down the forest." Kagome smiled.
"Kagome! I won't do that!" Shippo whined.
"Let us make a camp tonight." Miroku said. "At least its quiet, we may be safe for tonight."
"I'll be human you baka." InuYasha snapped.
"Well don't worry you never sleep on your human night anyways." Kagome rolled her eyes.
The group began to set up for the will be sleepless night. Miroku untied the sleeping bags and rolled them out onto the ground and handed Shippo his end of the rope. Sango had Kirara pull the newly supplies from the cart.
A few days ago, they had run into a very wealth village that was sacrificing innocent children to a youkai so their village would not be destroyed. They had all been in a similar position before, but this youkai had apparently gotten hold of a Shikon no Tama shard. It took their combined strength to bring the youkai down. InuYasha had let out two Kaza no Kiku's, Kagome had shot one of her arrows, Sango's Hiraikotsu had hit the youkai's armor numerous times, and Miroku's sutras had helped weakened the massive youki. It had been Kagome's arrow which had purified the shard and the youkai melted into nothing but dust.
When Kagome grasped the shard it had been instantly purified, and with that the village was so grateful, and with Miroku's lying help, they got a loot to take with them as a 'thank you'. The group had been all over the country side with little clues on Naraku's whereabouts, so they had decided to take it a little easier than normal.
InuYasha seemed to be taken back on how weak the youkai was in the first place. It had not been one of Naraku's reincarnations, so it meant Naraku had disappeared, again.
"You want to sit down InuYasha?" Sango asked.
"Feh, I'm fine." InuYasha mumbled. He stood up, his face on the sun as its orange flood disappeared behind the hills. InuYasha winched, and felt his hair become as dark as the nights air itself; his claws shrank back into his hands, making them only useless nails. The claws on his feet went back into stumped toenails, and his ears, they moved down on the side of his head, turning into a round oval shape.
InuYasha spat, he could barley hear or see!
"How the hell do you people live with this!" InuYasha grumbled.
"Its natural InuYasha, we're used to it." Miroku put in.
"Natural my ass!"
"Osuwari!" Kagome snapped.
InuYasha slammed to the ground, yelping in pain.
"You shouldn't really do that in his human form, Kagome." Sango shrugged. "I bet it hurts three times more."
"No duh!" InuYasha hissed. He sat up and brushed his hand over his shoulder. "Damn that's going to leave a bruise."
"Well maybe if you stop complaining, it won't hurt so much!" Kagome snapped.
"Idiot." Shippo mumbled.
"I heard that you twerp!" InuYasha yelled.
"Now, now, what we need you to do InuYasha is take a good long nap, and stop yelling!" Miroku said as he hit the now human hanyou on top of the head with his staff.
"Why you…"
"Look whose yelling now, houshi." Sango rolled her eyes.
"Well…let's all get some good nights sleep." Kagome said as she brushed her hair to the side. "Maybe we can find some use for all that stuff we got back at the other village."
"I think it was…" Miroku started. WHACK! "Sigh…Sango you misunderstand me."
"As to you, you lying hentai!" Sango snapped. Miroku removed his hand and put it behind him. His face had gone quiet red, InuYasha didn't know from either embarrassment or the slap mark on his cheek.
"Fool…" InuYasha mumbled. He crossed his legs and sat on the ground. He held Tessaiga close to him. Though it wouldn't transform on his human night, it was still a sword. InuYasha growled in annoyance. If he had become a true youkai, he would never have to fear the stupid new moon!
InuYasha leaned back and closed his eyes; he knew sleep wouldn't come, but being in the darkness behind his eyelids made him feel a little better. He heard the shuffle of Kirara as she made a more comfortable bed for Sango. InuYasha always had wondered why Kagome didn't bring one of those rolled up beds for the exterminator. Guess he would never know.
"Can't sleep?" Miroku came up beside him and sat down.
"Yea, I was asleep just now!" InuYasha spat.
"Now, now, let's not wake the others."
"What are you doing up anyway?" InuYasha asked.
"I'm on watch, so go to sleep; I'll wake you up if there is trouble." Miroku said.
"Yea…no." InuYasha turned his head.
"Sigh…Kagome's right about you, you can be very difficult." Miroku scratched his head.
"What would happen if you were suddenly stripped of your spiritual powers? Hue! Don't think you would sleep either!" InuYasha growled.
"Okay, I get your point, but I have friends that I believe in to protect me. I wish you would see it that same way." Miroku stood up and wandered over to the edge of the camp, glancing in the air. InuYasha would've flattened his ears, if he had been a hanyou.
"Whatever Miroku."
"Just sleep, if you fall asleep, I promise you, morning will be here before you know it." The houshi tilted his head and looked away. InuYasha sighed; he looked at Kagome and felt a smile spread on his lip. Maybe I will, InuYasha thought, be able to sleep tonight. He crawled over and put his hand in her silky hair. Patting it all the way down to the split ends. InuYasha had always loved Kagome, but one thing stood out the most, her hair, her beautiful silky hair. InuYasha sighed, was he ready for her to be his mate? InuYasha sighed, damn these human emotions, they want to me to kiss Kagome! InuYasha sighed and lay next to her sleeping bag. Closing his eyes, InuYasha fell into a restless sleep.
---
Miroku looked at the now sleeping hanyou. A smile crossed his lips, well he went to sleep faster than I thought, Miroku thought. He looked into the moonless night sky. The wood around them glistened in the small light the clouds somehow gave. The slight dead wind pushed Miroku's hair slightly in his face. He was expecting no danger, but Miroku had to be ready, for anything.
The grass under his feet, moved with bending grace. An owl hooted nearby as its golden eyes blinked on top of a branch in a nearby tree. Night, the one word that describes both life and death. Life, the creatures that must hide, run, and even fear the light of the burning sun, come alive and travel their territory with their bright senses that only they have. Death, a word for saying dying in the darkness when no one can see, no one can hear, you are surrounded by the darkness and you feel suffocated.
Miroku didn't think of night as any one of those words, he simply put it as a time of peace. Time when the Kami's wish for the people, all the creatures, and plants to shut their eyes and think of their lives. Think of what they have, what they might have, and what may just be out of their reach.
The wind suddenly started to pick up, Miroku went stiff. He knew that youki.
"Naraku." Miroku hissed.
Miroku held up his staff, his kazaana hand clenched in a fist. Suddenly the wind was a tornado, and a large feather appeared in front of him.
"Kagura." Miroku said.
"Well is it not the houshi? Where is InuYasha?" The wind witch asked.
"UP!" Miroku shouted. Sango was up first; her hand went to her weapon and readied the Hiraikotsu. Kagome was up, aiming her arrow right at Kagura. Shippo hid behind her, and InuYasha had disappeared behind one of the trees. Kirara transformed growling.
"What do you want Kagura?" Sango snapped.
"InuYasha is human tonight is he not?" Kagura asked, a tight sneer on her face.
"So what bitch!" InuYasha hissed from behind the tree. "If you want to kill me then bring it on!" InuYasha popped out from behind the tree, untransformed Tessaiga in hand.
"InuYasha!" Kagome hissed at him.
"Kagura, your opponent is me." Miroku held up his kazaana hand. "Leave."
"Houshi, no! The Saimyosho!" Sango yelled. Miroku put down his hand to Naraku's insects floating over Kagura.
"Damn." Miroku placed the beads back over the air whip.
"Houshi, you're in my way. DANCE OF THE DRAGON!"
The swirl of wind formed tornado shapes and Miroku had to cover his eyes.
"Houshi look out!" Sango yelled. He felt her pick him up as he settled onto Kirara's back.
"Kagome, InuYasha, watch out!" Miroku yelled at the two that where still one the ground. Suddenly the pink light blinded the night air, Kagome had shot her arrow, purifying Kagura's wind.
"Kagome you did it!" Shippo yelled from his perch behind Miroku. Miroku saw the feather fly up into the sky. What had been Kagura's goal? Did she just want to prove that InuYasha was human that night? Miroku looked down, to see Kagome standing up, wiping sweat off her brow.
"Kirara take us down." Sango purred to the youkai cat. Kirara took them back to the ground, where Miroku hoped off and ran over to Kagome. She looked exhausted.
"Kagome, what's the matter?" Miroku asked.
"For some reason I shot more aura then I thought." Kagome smiled.
"Well it scared that wind witch away!" Shippo yelped proudly.
"Shippo…" Sango sighed.
"Sorry, but we won't let her escape next time!"
"Well part of the problem was InuYasha being human." Miroku put in. "Besides…" Miroku froze. InuYasha was not talking; he looked at where he thought his hanyou friend had been. He was gone.
---
InuYasha opened his eyes. Had he fallen asleep right in the middle of a battle with Kagura? InuYasha sat up fast. He felt his claws, and his hair had become silver again.
"Morning already?" InuYasha yawned. "Hey Kagome…" InuYasha froze; his ears went flat on his head. Where the hell were his friends? InuYasha jumped up, panic filled his every muscle.
"KAGOME!" InuYasha yelled. He sniffed the air, his eyes scanning for the familiar black hair. He tried to pick up Sango's and Miroku's but came back with nothing more than stale air.
"Shit." InuYasha started to run quickly through the forest. What the hell just happened? Did he fall asleep? Or am I just dreaming? InuYasha stuck his hand out whacking it on a nearby branch. Pain came, and InuYasha sighed, nope he was not dreaming. The forest zipped under him, his feet barley touching the ground as his desperation to finding his friends became more intense. Had Kagura kidnapped them? No, InuYasha thought, there were defiantly too many of them for Kagura to achieve that.
"MIROKU! SANGO! Where the hell are you guys?!" InuYasha shouted. He felt Tessaiga suddenly shake next to him, forcing him to stop and observe his surroundings. Had Kagura gotten hold of him in his human form and dumped him here? InuYasha shook his head, she would have taken Tessaiga if that had been the case. InuYasha sniffed the air, yep, there was definitely a youkai nearby.
It wasn't Naraku, which InuYasha knew immediately. Hissing, InuYasha grasped Tessaiga's hilt and waited. The trees stayed silent as the slight breeze flowed through their uneven branches, the youki was faint, but its presence was there. A small rodent scrambled in its burrow to get away from whatever evil was there.
"Show yourself." InuYasha hissed.
The youki stopped its swirl in the wind, and actually started away from him. InuYasha stood up, confused. There had been a youkai there, why didn't it attack? InuYasha growled then shrugged to himself, one less fight for me to worry about, InuYasha thought. He started back hoping through the branches of the trees, his fire rat sleeves flapping in the wind as he flashed toward the direction of where he thought his friends were. The youki intensified, but only slightly, InuYasha growled angry. The youkai was following him, it wasn't going to attack, at least not at the moment.
---
Kagome sighed; she pulled her arms around her knees, shivering on the cart. They had decided to take it easier by having the two horses have them walk for them. Shippo gave her a worried look.
"You worried about InuYasha?" the young fox youkai asked.
"Yea." Kagome sighed.
"He shouldn't have gone far," Sango said, "He was human last night."
"Well we looked about a three miles radius around the camp, and he was nowhere to be seen." Miroku put in. "It is morning, he should be alright now."
"If he's not dead." Shippo mumbled.
"Shippo!" Kagome snapped.
"Sorry." Shippo whimpered.
"He does have every right to fear that Kagome," Sango pointed out, "He disappeared in his human form, he may not be in very good condition."
"Well that's why we are going to the next village to see if InuYasha will find our scents." Miroku said. "If he isn't here in a week, we'll continue to look for him. But for now let's see if he can find us first."
Kagome nodded in agreement. She hoped InuYasha was alright. Kagura had left once her attack had been in diminished by her arrow. But, Kagome thought, something was rather strange about Kagura's attack. The Saimyosho for one, they didn't seem real, more like they had been an illusion. Next, Kagura never waved her hand to control the wind; she had always had her fan with her.
"Miroku, Sango? Didn't you notice something odd about Kagura?"
"Actually yes Kagome, Sango and I were just talking about that." Miroku said. "Even Naraku's youki seemed a little off."
"Could have been an illusion?" Sango asked. "To get to InuYasha?"
"Maybe, that's what I'm worry about." Kagome mumbled.
"InuYasha is a hanyou now, he could defend himself." Shippo pouted.
"They may have gotten to him while he was still human." Miroku looked worried. "Let's just get to the village, we can only wait."
The village expanded over a very large piece of land. They could all see a castle not far way, as other villages surrounded the mighty cement structure that stood on top of the hills. Kagome was impressed, some poor people had to build it, but their hard work was paid off. The walls stood a good forty feet, and the towers stood tall and proud. Kagome could say they were as tall as a small Tokyo skyscraper. The villages that surrounded it were mostly small, but the one they were approaching was one of the largest. Guessing it was where most people traded their goods, Miroku pulled the horses into the path as the cargo jolted in the turn.
"This is impressive; they must be very profitable lords." Sango pointed out. Shippo and Kirara ducked mostly back, seeing youkai in this village would probably cause an uproar that was not needed.
Miroku pulled the horses to a stop and climbed off, and with Sango's help they tied the horse to the post, and went over to a inn keeper. Kagome sighed and had both Kirara and Shippo on her shoulders; she hoisted her arrows over her back and sighed. How would InuYasha get inside this village without attracting attention? Would he even smell their scents in such a place? Kagome shuddered; she wanted to look for him, but not alone. Her thoughts came back just before he disappeared. There had been a gold flash form behind her, making her think someone had maybe kidnapped him. But who? Why would someone make an illusion of Kagura and take InuYasha? And on his human night, someone else knew. Kagome thought, well Kagura did know, so did Kouga, and Sesshomaru. But Sesshomaru wouldn't kill InuYasha in his human form. Kagome figured out how both of the Inu brothers really fought, they never killed a helpless foe; they always wanted a fight no matter what the circumstance.
"Kagome!" Sango called.
"Coming!" Kagome sighed and walked over towards her friends, this was going to be one long night.
---
InuYasha sniffed the ground; he had finally caught Kagome's scent in what seemed like forever. He somehow in that stupid weak human body got about twenty miles away from the campsite. InuYasha had no clue how it had happened nor did he think someone had taken him there. Sniffing the ground, InuYasha also could see a path of horse shit. InuYasha wrinkled his nose in disgust; yep his friends had been here with that stupid cart.
Jumping back into the air, InuYasha hoped from tree top to tree top glancing around to find the unrecognizable strange clothed miko. InuYasha snapped up, his ears went straight on his head, and he stopped. The path led into an enormous village.
"Damn it." InuYasha hissed. Why had his friends gone into that human chaos? InuYasha glanced around; no youkai was present and nothing out of the ordinary. InuYasha had a bad feeling that if he just walked in he would be attacked or worse chased out of the village. He was outnumbered by the humans alone, but also InuYasha would never wield Tessaiga on humans anyway. It was against his otou's fang purpose.
"I guess I'll have to stay hidden."
Despite going into numerous villages before, InuYasha had always been with his friends and they drove the villagers away from any unwanted fighting. Glancing down quickly at the walking people, InuYasha hoped with grace on top of the huts, only a red blur to most humans' eyes. He found Kagome's scent and ran into the inn's flap, avoiding any type of detection.
---
Sango looked up, her mouth full of food, as she stared at InuYasha in the door way.
"InuYasha!" Kagome squealed in delight. She ran over and put her arms around him, crying.
"Damn it Kagome, why the hell are you crying?" InuYasha snapped.
"Because you scared me!" Kagome huffed.
"What happened InuYasha?" Miroku asked. "We were fighting…'Kagura' when you just disappeared."
"Don't know, I was aiming Tessaiga at that wind witch and then I just woke up, a hanyou again and it was morning." InuYasha shrugged.
"Actually we don't think that was Kagura." Sango said. "We think it had been an illusion."
"An illusion?" InuYasha asked.
"Yep, why did you run away in your human form! You're such an idiot InuYasha!" Shippo huffed. InuYasha walked over his fist raised and slammed the fox youkai on top of the head.
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
"InuYasha, don't hurt Shippo!" Kagome snapped.
"Have some food, you must be hungry." Sango held out a dish and InuYasha took it gladly. He sat down and put Tessaiga down by his side and chomped down on his supper.
"Thanks Sango." He mumbled in-between mouthfuls.
"No problem." Sango smiled and petted Kirara's soft fur as she purred in her lap. Kirara mewed in delight and turned over and let Sango start rubbing her belly. Kagome smiled.
"My cat Buyo does that." Kagome said.
"You have a cat?" Sango asked.
"Well he has only one tail!" Kagome laughed. Apparently the whole disappearing act by InuYasha seemed to be forgotten since he seemed to be in well shape. Sango talked with Kagome happily as Miroku and InuYasha started to get in a deep conversation about the attack form Kagura.
Sango sighed, the day was about over and another lay ahead. What lay ahead was unknown, but was know was that Naraku had Shikon no Tama shards and Kagura had attacked. And if it had been an illusion, what did this new enemy want? Were they after InuYasha or was there something more behind the entire thing? Sango felt her hand glide across Kirara's back and looked at the young miko. Kagome had fallen asleep on her shoulder, breathing out slowly.
The night descended on the entire village as the people's mummers and rumors faded into the night as everyone went into their sleeping dens. The moon was slight that night, the small slit of light pierced the black blanket that covered the sky, and a shooting star passed the moon. Only one person witnessed it, Sesshomaru looked from his land at the star his golden eyes piercing the sky. The taiyoukai had felt the wind change, the scent change around his otou's grave, around Tensegia, and around InuYasha. What it was Sesshomaru did not know, but soon, very soon, Sesshomaru would find out what his otou's secret was.
---
"Ugh, damn it!"
The impatient hanyou grumbled as he held his foot up, trying to get a piece of wood that had embedded into his toe. "Kagome, I don't need your help."
"Oh, quit complaining!" Kagome huffed. Kagome sighed and looked up in the sky; the birds flew over head as the sun started to sink into the Earth once more.
"You know, you better fix it before nightfall, InuYasha." Sango said.
"Stupid night of the new moon!" InuYasha huffed. "Man, I hate being a human!"
"Well, there hasn't been any sign of youkai that has attacked for Kagome's Shikon no Tama shards." Miroku said.
"Right houshi…" Sango gave him a look. Kirara purred on her shoulder, her two tails flicked with ease. Shippo had found himself a nice place in a small bush nearby, and for some reason, he was practicing his fox fire.
"Shippo?" Kagome asked.
"Yea?"
"You mind not burning down the forest." Kagome smiled.
"Kagome! I won't do that!" Shippo whined.
"Let us make a camp tonight." Miroku said. "At least its quiet, we may be safe for tonight."
"I'll be human you baka." InuYasha snapped.
"Well don't worry you never sleep on your human night anyways." Kagome rolled her eyes.
The group began to set up for the will be sleepless night. Miroku untied the sleeping bags and rolled them out onto the ground and handed Shippo his end of the rope. Sango had Kirara pull the newly supplies from the cart.
A few days ago, they had run into a very wealth village that was sacrificing innocent children to a youkai so their village would not be destroyed. They had all been in a similar position before, but this youkai had apparently gotten hold of a Shikon no Tama shard. It took their combined strength to bring the youkai down. InuYasha had let out two Kaza no Kiku's, Kagome had shot one of her arrows, Sango's Hiraikotsu had hit the youkai's armor numerous times, and Miroku's sutras had helped weakened the massive youki. It had been Kagome's arrow which had purified the shard and the youkai melted into nothing but dust.
When Kagome grasped the shard it had been instantly purified, and with that the village was so grateful, and with Miroku's lying help, they got a loot to take with them as a 'thank you'. The group had been all over the country side with little clues on Naraku's whereabouts, so they had decided to take it a little easier than normal.
InuYasha seemed to be taken back on how weak the youkai was in the first place. It had not been one of Naraku's reincarnations, so it meant Naraku had disappeared, again.
"You want to sit down InuYasha?" Sango asked.
"Feh, I'm fine." InuYasha mumbled. He stood up, his face on the sun as its orange flood disappeared behind the hills. InuYasha winched, and felt his hair become as dark as the nights air itself; his claws shrank back into his hands, making them only useless nails. The claws on his feet went back into stumped toenails, and his ears, they moved down on the side of his head, turning into a round oval shape.
InuYasha spat, he could barley hear or see!
"How the hell do you people live with this!" InuYasha grumbled.
"Its natural InuYasha, we're used to it." Miroku put in.
"Natural my ass!"
"Osuwari!" Kagome snapped.
InuYasha slammed to the ground, yelping in pain.
"You shouldn't really do that in his human form, Kagome." Sango shrugged. "I bet it hurts three times more."
"No duh!" InuYasha hissed. He sat up and brushed his hand over his shoulder. "Damn that's going to leave a bruise."
"Well maybe if you stop complaining, it won't hurt so much!" Kagome snapped.
"Idiot." Shippo mumbled.
"I heard that you twerp!" InuYasha yelled.
"Now, now, what we need you to do InuYasha is take a good long nap, and stop yelling!" Miroku said as he hit the now human hanyou on top of the head with his staff.
"Why you…"
"Look whose yelling now, houshi." Sango rolled her eyes.
"Well…let's all get some good nights sleep." Kagome said as she brushed her hair to the side. "Maybe we can find some use for all that stuff we got back at the other village."
"I think it was…" Miroku started. WHACK! "Sigh…Sango you misunderstand me."
"As to you, you lying hentai!" Sango snapped. Miroku removed his hand and put it behind him. His face had gone quiet red, InuYasha didn't know from either embarrassment or the slap mark on his cheek.
"Fool…" InuYasha mumbled. He crossed his legs and sat on the ground. He held Tessaiga close to him. Though it wouldn't transform on his human night, it was still a sword. InuYasha growled in annoyance. If he had become a true youkai, he would never have to fear the stupid new moon!
InuYasha leaned back and closed his eyes; he knew sleep wouldn't come, but being in the darkness behind his eyelids made him feel a little better. He heard the shuffle of Kirara as she made a more comfortable bed for Sango. InuYasha always had wondered why Kagome didn't bring one of those rolled up beds for the exterminator. Guess he would never know.
"Can't sleep?" Miroku came up beside him and sat down.
"Yea, I was asleep just now!" InuYasha spat.
"Now, now, let's not wake the others."
"What are you doing up anyway?" InuYasha asked.
"I'm on watch, so go to sleep; I'll wake you up if there is trouble." Miroku said.
"Yea…no." InuYasha turned his head.
"Sigh…Kagome's right about you, you can be very difficult." Miroku scratched his head.
"What would happen if you were suddenly stripped of your spiritual powers? Hue! Don't think you would sleep either!" InuYasha growled.
"Okay, I get your point, but I have friends that I believe in to protect me. I wish you would see it that same way." Miroku stood up and wandered over to the edge of the camp, glancing in the air. InuYasha would've flattened his ears, if he had been a hanyou.
"Whatever Miroku."
"Just sleep, if you fall asleep, I promise you, morning will be here before you know it." The houshi tilted his head and looked away. InuYasha sighed; he looked at Kagome and felt a smile spread on his lip. Maybe I will, InuYasha thought, be able to sleep tonight. He crawled over and put his hand in her silky hair. Patting it all the way down to the split ends. InuYasha had always loved Kagome, but one thing stood out the most, her hair, her beautiful silky hair. InuYasha sighed, was he ready for her to be his mate? InuYasha sighed, damn these human emotions, they want to me to kiss Kagome! InuYasha sighed and lay next to her sleeping bag. Closing his eyes, InuYasha fell into a restless sleep.
---
Miroku looked at the now sleeping hanyou. A smile crossed his lips, well he went to sleep faster than I thought, Miroku thought. He looked into the moonless night sky. The wood around them glistened in the small light the clouds somehow gave. The slight dead wind pushed Miroku's hair slightly in his face. He was expecting no danger, but Miroku had to be ready, for anything.
The grass under his feet, moved with bending grace. An owl hooted nearby as its golden eyes blinked on top of a branch in a nearby tree. Night, the one word that describes both life and death. Life, the creatures that must hide, run, and even fear the light of the burning sun, come alive and travel their territory with their bright senses that only they have. Death, a word for saying dying in the darkness when no one can see, no one can hear, you are surrounded by the darkness and you feel suffocated.
Miroku didn't think of night as any one of those words, he simply put it as a time of peace. Time when the Kami's wish for the people, all the creatures, and plants to shut their eyes and think of their lives. Think of what they have, what they might have, and what may just be out of their reach.
The wind suddenly started to pick up, Miroku went stiff. He knew that youki.
"Naraku." Miroku hissed.
Miroku held up his staff, his kazaana hand clenched in a fist. Suddenly the wind was a tornado, and a large feather appeared in front of him.
"Kagura." Miroku said.
"Well is it not the houshi? Where is InuYasha?" The wind witch asked.
"UP!" Miroku shouted. Sango was up first; her hand went to her weapon and readied the Hiraikotsu. Kagome was up, aiming her arrow right at Kagura. Shippo hid behind her, and InuYasha had disappeared behind one of the trees. Kirara transformed growling.
"What do you want Kagura?" Sango snapped.
"InuYasha is human tonight is he not?" Kagura asked, a tight sneer on her face.
"So what bitch!" InuYasha hissed from behind the tree. "If you want to kill me then bring it on!" InuYasha popped out from behind the tree, untransformed Tessaiga in hand.
"InuYasha!" Kagome hissed at him.
"Kagura, your opponent is me." Miroku held up his kazaana hand. "Leave."
"Houshi, no! The Saimyosho!" Sango yelled. Miroku put down his hand to Naraku's insects floating over Kagura.
"Damn." Miroku placed the beads back over the air whip.
"Houshi, you're in my way. DANCE OF THE DRAGON!"
The swirl of wind formed tornado shapes and Miroku had to cover his eyes.
"Houshi look out!" Sango yelled. He felt her pick him up as he settled onto Kirara's back.
"Kagome, InuYasha, watch out!" Miroku yelled at the two that where still one the ground. Suddenly the pink light blinded the night air, Kagome had shot her arrow, purifying Kagura's wind.
"Kagome you did it!" Shippo yelled from his perch behind Miroku. Miroku saw the feather fly up into the sky. What had been Kagura's goal? Did she just want to prove that InuYasha was human that night? Miroku looked down, to see Kagome standing up, wiping sweat off her brow.
"Kirara take us down." Sango purred to the youkai cat. Kirara took them back to the ground, where Miroku hoped off and ran over to Kagome. She looked exhausted.
"Kagome, what's the matter?" Miroku asked.
"For some reason I shot more aura then I thought." Kagome smiled.
"Well it scared that wind witch away!" Shippo yelped proudly.
"Shippo…" Sango sighed.
"Sorry, but we won't let her escape next time!"
"Well part of the problem was InuYasha being human." Miroku put in. "Besides…" Miroku froze. InuYasha was not talking; he looked at where he thought his hanyou friend had been. He was gone.
---
InuYasha opened his eyes. Had he fallen asleep right in the middle of a battle with Kagura? InuYasha sat up fast. He felt his claws, and his hair had become silver again.
"Morning already?" InuYasha yawned. "Hey Kagome…" InuYasha froze; his ears went flat on his head. Where the hell were his friends? InuYasha jumped up, panic filled his every muscle.
"KAGOME!" InuYasha yelled. He sniffed the air, his eyes scanning for the familiar black hair. He tried to pick up Sango's and Miroku's but came back with nothing more than stale air.
"Shit." InuYasha started to run quickly through the forest. What the hell just happened? Did he fall asleep? Or am I just dreaming? InuYasha stuck his hand out whacking it on a nearby branch. Pain came, and InuYasha sighed, nope he was not dreaming. The forest zipped under him, his feet barley touching the ground as his desperation to finding his friends became more intense. Had Kagura kidnapped them? No, InuYasha thought, there were defiantly too many of them for Kagura to achieve that.
"MIROKU! SANGO! Where the hell are you guys?!" InuYasha shouted. He felt Tessaiga suddenly shake next to him, forcing him to stop and observe his surroundings. Had Kagura gotten hold of him in his human form and dumped him here? InuYasha shook his head, she would have taken Tessaiga if that had been the case. InuYasha sniffed the air, yep, there was definitely a youkai nearby.
It wasn't Naraku, which InuYasha knew immediately. Hissing, InuYasha grasped Tessaiga's hilt and waited. The trees stayed silent as the slight breeze flowed through their uneven branches, the youki was faint, but its presence was there. A small rodent scrambled in its burrow to get away from whatever evil was there.
"Show yourself." InuYasha hissed.
The youki stopped its swirl in the wind, and actually started away from him. InuYasha stood up, confused. There had been a youkai there, why didn't it attack? InuYasha growled then shrugged to himself, one less fight for me to worry about, InuYasha thought. He started back hoping through the branches of the trees, his fire rat sleeves flapping in the wind as he flashed toward the direction of where he thought his friends were. The youki intensified, but only slightly, InuYasha growled angry. The youkai was following him, it wasn't going to attack, at least not at the moment.
---
Kagome sighed; she pulled her arms around her knees, shivering on the cart. They had decided to take it easier by having the two horses have them walk for them. Shippo gave her a worried look.
"You worried about InuYasha?" the young fox youkai asked.
"Yea." Kagome sighed.
"He shouldn't have gone far," Sango said, "He was human last night."
"Well we looked about a three miles radius around the camp, and he was nowhere to be seen." Miroku put in. "It is morning, he should be alright now."
"If he's not dead." Shippo mumbled.
"Shippo!" Kagome snapped.
"Sorry." Shippo whimpered.
"He does have every right to fear that Kagome," Sango pointed out, "He disappeared in his human form, he may not be in very good condition."
"Well that's why we are going to the next village to see if InuYasha will find our scents." Miroku said. "If he isn't here in a week, we'll continue to look for him. But for now let's see if he can find us first."
Kagome nodded in agreement. She hoped InuYasha was alright. Kagura had left once her attack had been in diminished by her arrow. But, Kagome thought, something was rather strange about Kagura's attack. The Saimyosho for one, they didn't seem real, more like they had been an illusion. Next, Kagura never waved her hand to control the wind; she had always had her fan with her.
"Miroku, Sango? Didn't you notice something odd about Kagura?"
"Actually yes Kagome, Sango and I were just talking about that." Miroku said. "Even Naraku's youki seemed a little off."
"Could have been an illusion?" Sango asked. "To get to InuYasha?"
"Maybe, that's what I'm worry about." Kagome mumbled.
"InuYasha is a hanyou now, he could defend himself." Shippo pouted.
"They may have gotten to him while he was still human." Miroku looked worried. "Let's just get to the village, we can only wait."
The village expanded over a very large piece of land. They could all see a castle not far way, as other villages surrounded the mighty cement structure that stood on top of the hills. Kagome was impressed, some poor people had to build it, but their hard work was paid off. The walls stood a good forty feet, and the towers stood tall and proud. Kagome could say they were as tall as a small Tokyo skyscraper. The villages that surrounded it were mostly small, but the one they were approaching was one of the largest. Guessing it was where most people traded their goods, Miroku pulled the horses into the path as the cargo jolted in the turn.
"This is impressive; they must be very profitable lords." Sango pointed out. Shippo and Kirara ducked mostly back, seeing youkai in this village would probably cause an uproar that was not needed.
Miroku pulled the horses to a stop and climbed off, and with Sango's help they tied the horse to the post, and went over to a inn keeper. Kagome sighed and had both Kirara and Shippo on her shoulders; she hoisted her arrows over her back and sighed. How would InuYasha get inside this village without attracting attention? Would he even smell their scents in such a place? Kagome shuddered; she wanted to look for him, but not alone. Her thoughts came back just before he disappeared. There had been a gold flash form behind her, making her think someone had maybe kidnapped him. But who? Why would someone make an illusion of Kagura and take InuYasha? And on his human night, someone else knew. Kagome thought, well Kagura did know, so did Kouga, and Sesshomaru. But Sesshomaru wouldn't kill InuYasha in his human form. Kagome figured out how both of the Inu brothers really fought, they never killed a helpless foe; they always wanted a fight no matter what the circumstance.
"Kagome!" Sango called.
"Coming!" Kagome sighed and walked over towards her friends, this was going to be one long night.
---
InuYasha sniffed the ground; he had finally caught Kagome's scent in what seemed like forever. He somehow in that stupid weak human body got about twenty miles away from the campsite. InuYasha had no clue how it had happened nor did he think someone had taken him there. Sniffing the ground, InuYasha also could see a path of horse shit. InuYasha wrinkled his nose in disgust; yep his friends had been here with that stupid cart.
Jumping back into the air, InuYasha hoped from tree top to tree top glancing around to find the unrecognizable strange clothed miko. InuYasha snapped up, his ears went straight on his head, and he stopped. The path led into an enormous village.
"Damn it." InuYasha hissed. Why had his friends gone into that human chaos? InuYasha glanced around; no youkai was present and nothing out of the ordinary. InuYasha had a bad feeling that if he just walked in he would be attacked or worse chased out of the village. He was outnumbered by the humans alone, but also InuYasha would never wield Tessaiga on humans anyway. It was against his otou's fang purpose.
"I guess I'll have to stay hidden."
Despite going into numerous villages before, InuYasha had always been with his friends and they drove the villagers away from any unwanted fighting. Glancing down quickly at the walking people, InuYasha hoped with grace on top of the huts, only a red blur to most humans' eyes. He found Kagome's scent and ran into the inn's flap, avoiding any type of detection.
---
Sango looked up, her mouth full of food, as she stared at InuYasha in the door way.
"InuYasha!" Kagome squealed in delight. She ran over and put her arms around him, crying.
"Damn it Kagome, why the hell are you crying?" InuYasha snapped.
"Because you scared me!" Kagome huffed.
"What happened InuYasha?" Miroku asked. "We were fighting…'Kagura' when you just disappeared."
"Don't know, I was aiming Tessaiga at that wind witch and then I just woke up, a hanyou again and it was morning." InuYasha shrugged.
"Actually we don't think that was Kagura." Sango said. "We think it had been an illusion."
"An illusion?" InuYasha asked.
"Yep, why did you run away in your human form! You're such an idiot InuYasha!" Shippo huffed. InuYasha walked over his fist raised and slammed the fox youkai on top of the head.
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
"InuYasha, don't hurt Shippo!" Kagome snapped.
"Have some food, you must be hungry." Sango held out a dish and InuYasha took it gladly. He sat down and put Tessaiga down by his side and chomped down on his supper.
"Thanks Sango." He mumbled in-between mouthfuls.
"No problem." Sango smiled and petted Kirara's soft fur as she purred in her lap. Kirara mewed in delight and turned over and let Sango start rubbing her belly. Kagome smiled.
"My cat Buyo does that." Kagome said.
"You have a cat?" Sango asked.
"Well he has only one tail!" Kagome laughed. Apparently the whole disappearing act by InuYasha seemed to be forgotten since he seemed to be in well shape. Sango talked with Kagome happily as Miroku and InuYasha started to get in a deep conversation about the attack form Kagura.
Sango sighed, the day was about over and another lay ahead. What lay ahead was unknown, but was know was that Naraku had Shikon no Tama shards and Kagura had attacked. And if it had been an illusion, what did this new enemy want? Were they after InuYasha or was there something more behind the entire thing? Sango felt her hand glide across Kirara's back and looked at the young miko. Kagome had fallen asleep on her shoulder, breathing out slowly.
The night descended on the entire village as the people's mummers and rumors faded into the night as everyone went into their sleeping dens. The moon was slight that night, the small slit of light pierced the black blanket that covered the sky, and a shooting star passed the moon. Only one person witnessed it, Sesshomaru looked from his land at the star his golden eyes piercing the sky. The taiyoukai had felt the wind change, the scent change around his otou's grave, around Tensegia, and around InuYasha. What it was Sesshomaru did not know, but soon, very soon, Sesshomaru would find out what his otou's secret was.