InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forbidden Love ❯ Chapter IV ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: rockthedragon7 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.27.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 263 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.27.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 263 | Status: Completed
Chapter IV
She came into the garden, touching the petals of the ikarisou with one graceful finger, distantly thinking of the lord that she had unexpectedly, but oh so perfectly met in the woodland. Her rescuer. Sugimi Inu no Taishou. What was it about his that set fireworks off inside of her head? His eyes? His gentleness? Was it because he was a demon? Izayoi shook her head. ‘Of course not, you stupid girl!’ she scolded herself mentally. ‘A demon is a demon, no matter how you look at it. It doesn’t matter that he’s charming or handsome or sweet or…Now, there you go again!’
“Izayoi!” came her father’s shout. She jumped, torn from her thoughts by the tone of his voice. She knew that temper. Her father, despite his age, bounded from the veranda and into the yard hastily. “Izayoi, where have you been off to? In the forest again, I suppose! You know that you are not to go in there! If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times! There are…”
“Demons in there. I know,” Izayoi finished impatiently, employing her newly discovered knowledge of the creatures of the timberland.
Her father shook his head, letting out an aggravated, but relieved sigh. “Well, at least you’re home safely.” He had no idea how safe she truly was. “Now, what have you got there?”
“Ikarisou,” Izayoi answered, handing the purple blooms to her father.
He stared at them, wide-eyes and astonished. “Your mother’s favorite flower.” When he looked up at her, there were tears in his old eyes, but there was a happy smile on his face. “Izayoi…” He paused, not being able to find the right words to say, and pulled her into a hug. “There’s lovely, my girl.”
Izayoi leaned her head on his shoulder, grinning at the simple joy that the ikarisou had brought him. “I thought you would like them.”
Sugimi soundlessly walked through the woods, his left hand lingering on the hilt of his katana, his mind full of the young human woman named Izayoi. Yes, the pleasant girl dressed in the brightly colored, floral kimono. If he hadn’t come along just then, Kyouaku would have most likely had his way with her, and then devoured her. Sugimi frowned. The demon lord felt obligated to protect mortal life since there were very few humans who could match strengths against those of demon birthright. It was unfair game.
“My lord! Lord Sugimi! Wait for me!” Myoga’s nasally voice sounded, and the demon lord paused, glancing at the flea demon as Myoga leapt onto his left shoulder, panting and wheezing from the effort of trying to keep up with his lord’s much, much longer strides.
“Nice of you to join me, Myoga,” Sugimi sneered satirically, resuming his walk. “Come out of hiding, I see.”
The flea demon held up one hand as he struggled to catch his wind. “That is biased, my lord. I was not hiding.”
Sugimi lifted a branch out of his way, ducking slightly beneath the limb. “Really? Then where were you, pray tell, my cowardly friend?” He was more than a little aware of the flea’s habits of running off in the face of danger.
Myoga sniffed in objection. “I’ll have you know that I was observing the demon Kyouaku from the bushes, thank you…” He abruptly stopped in mid-sentence, feeling Sugimi’s displeased eyes on him, and he instantly was down on his knees, bowing deeply. “I’m sorry, my lord. That was uncalled for. Forgive me?”
“This is becoming tiresome, Myoga. You have asked my forgiveness nine times in the past two days, and frankly, I am not amused. Until now, I have granted my pardon with grace. Now, however, I am quite convinced that you should tread ground on your own two feet.” With that, Sugimi flicked the tiny flea demon from his shoulder with annoyance, sending him tumbling to the dirt in a torrent of flailing arms and startled cries.
Myoga sat up, dazed from his fall to the hard ground, and dizzily shook the stars from his view. Looking over his shoulder to see the demon lord already far down the trail, Myoga stumbled to a stand, and clumsily began springing after Sugimi. “My lord! My lord, wait for me! Please?”
Izayoi’s father had taken the ikarisou with him into the house, stuttering happy words and brushing stray tears from his eyes as his daughter followed with a feeling of accomplishment. It made her overjoyed inside to know that her father was shedding tears of delight, rather than sorrow. Stepping into the sitting room, he bent over the low table, placing the bouquet of violet ikarisou into an extravagant jomon vase. “Fetch some water, my dear. Let’s give the pretty things a drink.” Izayoi nodded and smiled. He had such an interesting way with words.
As she slipped through the fusuma into the kitchen, her mind wandered again to the demon lord. The thought came to her that she hadn’t thanked him for his kindness. What sort of trouble would she have been in if he hadn’t shown up to frighten away that horrid - what was his name - that heinous Kyouaku? ‘Oh, why didn’t I thank him?’ Izayoi pondered guiltily as she poured water into a pitcher. ‘Well, because he’s a demon. Like you said before, a demon is a demon, no matter how you at it. He wouldn’t be deserving of thanks…would he?’ She left the kitchen in a daydream, sliding the fusuma shut behind her halfheartedly, almost saddened by her thought. ‘Oh, why do you care!? He’s probably off right now, dispatching innocent villagers and dancing with their children’s heads on a silver platter…’
“Izayoi!” her father’s voice broke into her mind. She looked up to see him with his hands firmly planted on his hips, tapping his foot with agitation. “Are you half-deaf, my girl? I called you three times.”
Izayoi smiled bashfully. “Sorry, Father. Lost in my own head again.” She drained the water from the pitcher into the jomon. She knew that it was wise not to tell her father of the encounter with the pair of demons in the forest. If he was aware, he would certainly never allow her there again, so help him, and that was something that she did not desire. His protection was comforting, but at the same time, it was suffocating.
Her father shook his head. “Dreaming with your eyes open. Ah, to be young.” He torpidly lowered himself to a zabuton, admiring the ikarisou, which now sparkled with little water droplets. “What say you we eat dinner together tonight? My work can wait for tomorrow.”
Izayoi glanced at him, surprised. “Together?”
“Aye. We haven’t sat down together for a good long while.” He hit the table with his fist, and frowned. “Dratted work! Taking up all the time that I could be spending with my girl! Someday she’ll be married with a baby on her hip, and I’ll only be able to blink and say, ‘When did that happen!?’”
Izayoi grinned. “I would love to have dinner with you, Father.”
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She came into the garden, touching the petals of the ikarisou with one graceful finger, distantly thinking of the lord that she had unexpectedly, but oh so perfectly met in the woodland. Her rescuer. Sugimi Inu no Taishou. What was it about his that set fireworks off inside of her head? His eyes? His gentleness? Was it because he was a demon? Izayoi shook her head. ‘Of course not, you stupid girl!’ she scolded herself mentally. ‘A demon is a demon, no matter how you look at it. It doesn’t matter that he’s charming or handsome or sweet or…Now, there you go again!’
“Izayoi!” came her father’s shout. She jumped, torn from her thoughts by the tone of his voice. She knew that temper. Her father, despite his age, bounded from the veranda and into the yard hastily. “Izayoi, where have you been off to? In the forest again, I suppose! You know that you are not to go in there! If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times! There are…”
“Demons in there. I know,” Izayoi finished impatiently, employing her newly discovered knowledge of the creatures of the timberland.
Her father shook his head, letting out an aggravated, but relieved sigh. “Well, at least you’re home safely.” He had no idea how safe she truly was. “Now, what have you got there?”
“Ikarisou,” Izayoi answered, handing the purple blooms to her father.
He stared at them, wide-eyes and astonished. “Your mother’s favorite flower.” When he looked up at her, there were tears in his old eyes, but there was a happy smile on his face. “Izayoi…” He paused, not being able to find the right words to say, and pulled her into a hug. “There’s lovely, my girl.”
Izayoi leaned her head on his shoulder, grinning at the simple joy that the ikarisou had brought him. “I thought you would like them.”
Sugimi soundlessly walked through the woods, his left hand lingering on the hilt of his katana, his mind full of the young human woman named Izayoi. Yes, the pleasant girl dressed in the brightly colored, floral kimono. If he hadn’t come along just then, Kyouaku would have most likely had his way with her, and then devoured her. Sugimi frowned. The demon lord felt obligated to protect mortal life since there were very few humans who could match strengths against those of demon birthright. It was unfair game.
“My lord! Lord Sugimi! Wait for me!” Myoga’s nasally voice sounded, and the demon lord paused, glancing at the flea demon as Myoga leapt onto his left shoulder, panting and wheezing from the effort of trying to keep up with his lord’s much, much longer strides.
“Nice of you to join me, Myoga,” Sugimi sneered satirically, resuming his walk. “Come out of hiding, I see.”
The flea demon held up one hand as he struggled to catch his wind. “That is biased, my lord. I was not hiding.”
Sugimi lifted a branch out of his way, ducking slightly beneath the limb. “Really? Then where were you, pray tell, my cowardly friend?” He was more than a little aware of the flea’s habits of running off in the face of danger.
Myoga sniffed in objection. “I’ll have you know that I was observing the demon Kyouaku from the bushes, thank you…” He abruptly stopped in mid-sentence, feeling Sugimi’s displeased eyes on him, and he instantly was down on his knees, bowing deeply. “I’m sorry, my lord. That was uncalled for. Forgive me?”
“This is becoming tiresome, Myoga. You have asked my forgiveness nine times in the past two days, and frankly, I am not amused. Until now, I have granted my pardon with grace. Now, however, I am quite convinced that you should tread ground on your own two feet.” With that, Sugimi flicked the tiny flea demon from his shoulder with annoyance, sending him tumbling to the dirt in a torrent of flailing arms and startled cries.
Myoga sat up, dazed from his fall to the hard ground, and dizzily shook the stars from his view. Looking over his shoulder to see the demon lord already far down the trail, Myoga stumbled to a stand, and clumsily began springing after Sugimi. “My lord! My lord, wait for me! Please?”
Izayoi’s father had taken the ikarisou with him into the house, stuttering happy words and brushing stray tears from his eyes as his daughter followed with a feeling of accomplishment. It made her overjoyed inside to know that her father was shedding tears of delight, rather than sorrow. Stepping into the sitting room, he bent over the low table, placing the bouquet of violet ikarisou into an extravagant jomon vase. “Fetch some water, my dear. Let’s give the pretty things a drink.” Izayoi nodded and smiled. He had such an interesting way with words.
As she slipped through the fusuma into the kitchen, her mind wandered again to the demon lord. The thought came to her that she hadn’t thanked him for his kindness. What sort of trouble would she have been in if he hadn’t shown up to frighten away that horrid - what was his name - that heinous Kyouaku? ‘Oh, why didn’t I thank him?’ Izayoi pondered guiltily as she poured water into a pitcher. ‘Well, because he’s a demon. Like you said before, a demon is a demon, no matter how you at it. He wouldn’t be deserving of thanks…would he?’ She left the kitchen in a daydream, sliding the fusuma shut behind her halfheartedly, almost saddened by her thought. ‘Oh, why do you care!? He’s probably off right now, dispatching innocent villagers and dancing with their children’s heads on a silver platter…’
“Izayoi!” her father’s voice broke into her mind. She looked up to see him with his hands firmly planted on his hips, tapping his foot with agitation. “Are you half-deaf, my girl? I called you three times.”
Izayoi smiled bashfully. “Sorry, Father. Lost in my own head again.” She drained the water from the pitcher into the jomon. She knew that it was wise not to tell her father of the encounter with the pair of demons in the forest. If he was aware, he would certainly never allow her there again, so help him, and that was something that she did not desire. His protection was comforting, but at the same time, it was suffocating.
Her father shook his head. “Dreaming with your eyes open. Ah, to be young.” He torpidly lowered himself to a zabuton, admiring the ikarisou, which now sparkled with little water droplets. “What say you we eat dinner together tonight? My work can wait for tomorrow.”
Izayoi glanced at him, surprised. “Together?”
“Aye. We haven’t sat down together for a good long while.” He hit the table with his fist, and frowned. “Dratted work! Taking up all the time that I could be spending with my girl! Someday she’ll be married with a baby on her hip, and I’ll only be able to blink and say, ‘When did that happen!?’”
Izayoi grinned. “I would love to have dinner with you, Father.”
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