InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Naraku's Heart ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 15: Naraku's Heart

"Kanna. Did you bring me that which I asked for?" Naraku stood, staring out through the screens, and waited for his oldest incarnation to speak.

"Yes, Naraku, his soul is trapped within my mirror." The small, white girl waited calmly, showing no reaction.

Kanna of the void could not show fear - or anything else, and so Naraku could not be angered at this lack in the girl, after all, he himself had created her that way.

"Bring me the mirror, Kanna. I would see what you have caught. I hope that it will suffice for my needs - I would be most disappointed if it doesn't. Of course, it is merely a human soul, and so absurdly weak, however, fused with a part of me, maybe it will be strong enough. I only need it to destroy the Miko," Naraku chuckled.

Perhaps... this one soul can also take care of my own human heart. And then, Kikyou, I will take care of you.

Taking the mirror that the girl held out, he stared into it, slowly perusing the spirit trapped within.

Excellent - there is much rage here, it won't take much to taint him, turn the rage to hate, and then he will respond so well to the jewel.

He ruffled the surface of the mirror with a tendril of his aura, allowing it to sink into the surface. The human soul trapped on the other side screamed as all his memories were torn from him, leaving him bared to the figure gazing at him.

Kichiro screamed again. He knew who this being was that was torturing him. Naraku. The same bastard that Kagome was after. Kagome... he flinched as memories of her, as a child, playing together, as she grew older, teasing him, and then as a young woman, running from him, washed over him.

"Yes, Kichiro, remember Kagome. Remember when she was yours - and then how she left you, left you to die. She betrayed you, did she not?" Naraku smiled, and it made Kichiro shiver. But his anger was growing... Kagome...!

Naraku beckoned, and Kichiro moved closer to him, hesitantly, unsure what was waiting for him, but unable to refuse.

"I understand betrayal, Kichiro, I have been betrayed as well. The Miko, Kikyou... yes, I see you know her. She betrayed me. I found my answer in my rage. The bitterness protected me from the pain. It can do the same for you."

"Rage, yes, I know rage. And hatred....?" he mused, falling under the hanyou's spell without even noticing. "I also know hatred. I hate Inuyasha. He took Kagome from me, and I feel bitterness. Towards Kagome. She let me die, she turned away from me, gave herself to another. She was supposed to be mine!" Kichiro hissed in anger.

Naraku nodded. "She betrayed you. She ignored your pain, and your death, to run to the arms of another. Why should she be allowed to be happy, when you have died? You need to make them both pay for what they did."

This human is weak, and ripe for the picking. He has fallen into my hands so easily, but even weak, he will suit my purposes very well. He is strong enough in his anger and bitterness to survive being merged with my flesh.

Yes... he would make a fine incarnation.

---sSs---

Kaede shook her head. "Well, well... much has happened to ye all since the last moon cycle began. And ye, Inuyasha? What do ye intend to do for the next few days?"

It had been decided that Sango and Miroku would go to the slayers village - it had been a while since she had been there, and they wanted to make sure that everything was okay.

Kaede was right, much had happened lately, and especially in the last few days. Kagome was still feeling odd, after that last battle with Kichiro, and so Inuyasha had decided to take her home for a while. Besides, she was complaining about certain tests that were coming up, so she may as well get them out of the way while she could.

"I'm going to take Kagome back to her time. She needs the rest, and besides... she has those 'test' things again." He rolled his eyes. "This way, she can get them out of the way, so when we get back, she can concentrate on things here instead of worrying about 'skool'."

Kagome gave him an irritated look. "Are you trying to imply that I don't concentrate on shard hunting enough for your tastes, Inuyasha?" Her mouth tightened. "Don't even think about giving me one of your Kikyou insults, either!"

Everyone stared at her in shock. Kaede looked over at Inuyasha, then back at Kagome. "What do ye mean, 'Kikyou insults', child?"

Glaring at her mate, she said, "He has a habit of comparing me, unfavourably mind you, to Kikyou when I do something he doesn't like. It gets old really fast!" Standing up, she stomped over to her bag and grabbed it. "I'm going back. You do what you want!"

Inuyasha scrambled to his feet, trying to ignore the reproachful look Kaede gave him. He knew she was gonna corner him at some point, but it wasn't gonna be now... he had a mate to catch. Flying out the door, he ran off after the angry young woman.

"Kagome! Wait, damnit, hold on!"

Those left inside the hut looked at each other, unsure what to make of Kagome snapping at Inuyasha like that, and over something so small. Miroku looked thoughtful, staring into the fire.

"I think," he said, answering the unspoken question in the room, "Kagome is still trying to deal with whatever happened when Kichiro attempted to possess her. I get the feeling that some of what is upsetting her is guilt - but I don't think it has anything to do with that man's death. It seems to me that she feels guilty about something to do with Inuyasha." Looking up, he smiled at his friends.

"I think she just needs time to put everything into perspective. She will be fine."

Shippo hopped up onto Kaede's shoulder. "I sure hope so... Kagome's scary when she's mad, and besides," the little kit looked sad, "I don't like it when my mom is so upset."

"Kagome! Get back here, woman!" Inuyasha dashed up the path, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with his mate. He tried to deepen the link, but she resisted and kept it damped down.

"Damn it, Kagome!"

How am I supposed to help her if she won't tell me what's wrong? I don't like this... this separation she's putting between us. It... hurts. He whined low in his throat, letting his side of the link stay open, knowing she would feel what she was doing to him.

He knew she could feel him, knew she could hear him, after all, she was just up ahead. But she was still ignoring him, the damn wench, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally.

Swooping down on her, he grabbed her and leaped directly into the well. He waited, not saying anything, until they came out on the other side, then jumped up onto the platform around the well. She also did not say anything; she could feel his anger, and knew that she'd pushed things a little too far.

Kagome pushed her hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Inu. I don't know what's wrong really... I just feel on edge. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." She looked up at him as he set her down.

"All I can say is it seems to be something to do with what happened at the hut."

Inuyasha grabbed her chin, holding her eyes with his. "It's okay, K'gome. I won't pretend that it doesn't hurt when you hide from me like that, all you need to do if something feels wrong is tell me. We can fix it, you know." He let go of her chin and sighed. "C'mon... let's get into the house. I want some of that ramen your mom has stocked up. Later, we need to talk, okay?"

Kagome sighed and nodded. "Okay, Inuyasha. I promise."

Entering the house, Kagome yelled out to her mother. As soon as Inuyasha heard her reply, he knew she was in the kitchen, and headed straight there. Kagome, tired, sore, and still depressed, went in search of a nice hot bath. Reaching her room, she dug through until she found a pair of jeans and a tank top. Heading to the bathroom, she locked the door to avoid any interruptions, and proceeded to revel in the hot water. She just wanted to ignore everything - especially the bruised feeling deep inside.

After soaking almost to prune level, she felt better... at least she felt clean and not so sore. Getting out, she quickly dressed, and grabbing her things, went back to her room. Well... technically their room now.

Sitting in her desk chair, she started brushing her hair, mind blank, just enjoying the feeling of clean, soft hair. Finally pulling it up into a ponytail on top of her head, she went in search of her mom and Inuyasha.

Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, someone knocked on the door, so with a yell of "I've got it" she answered the door... and found her three schoolfriends, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi standing there.

"Hey, Kagome! We wanted to see how you were doing... you look okay, are you going to be in school tomorrow?" Ayumi asked, smiling at Kagome.

"Ummm, yeah, I planned on it," she said, ushering her three friends inside. After taking off their shoes, they all followed her into the main room - and then she almost fell over when she remembered that Inuyasha was running around in the house somewhere, and didn't have a hat or any headcovering on.

Crap! Inuyasha! You need to go find a hat and change into some of those jeans and shirts mom got for when your here, my friends from school are here! Hurry before they see you!

She heard his mental snort, then he sent acceptance to her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she smiled at her friends. "Come in and sit down, tell me what's been going on at school." Realizing what she had just said when she heard the muffled slam and shriek, she cringed.

Damn it.. I'm sorry Inu, I didn't think it would affect you up there when I said it softly down here! I'm so sorry!

'Wench...your gonna get it later....'

By this time, the girls were looking at her, wondering what she was doing.

"So, Kagome, have you seen Hojo lately?" Yuka asked, glancing at the other two girls.

"He's been acting pretty weird, he said he'd seen you a week or so ago. What happened between you two? I mean, you know he's had the hots for you since you were fifteen, and now that your about to be eighteen, well, are you two gonna get together, or are you gonna stick with that boyfriend of yours?"

Kagome winced, trying to think of what to say, but before she could even open her mouth, Inuyasha butted in.

"She ain't gettin' anywhere near that stupid Hobo guy - or any other guy for that matter. Kagome belongs to me. Permanently." Inuyasha barged into the room, glaring at the girls, making sure they all knew who the boss was. Flashing his mate mark, he made sure they saw it, and sure enough, they had to know what it was.

"Oh wow, Inuyasha, is that a tattoo? Where'd you get it? And why does it say Kagome?" Eri looked at Kagome. "Alright Kagome, fess up. What's with the tattoo?"

And then she pounced on her, grabbing Kagome's hand. "Oh, Kami! You have one too! Only it says Inuyasha! Give, girl... what does this mean?"

Inuyasha smirked at his mate. "Yeah, Kagome, tell them what it means. I'd love to hear this one."

Kagome glared at him, ready to wring his neck. "And just what am I supposed to say, Inuyasha?"

"I dunno, how 'bout the truth? Tell them that your my - what's the human term again? Oh yeah. Wife. That's it. Besides, just how long were you planning on keeping me a secret?" He met her gaze steadily. "I guess I just blew that out of the water. I'm tired of being hidden like you're ashamed of me. Is that it, Kagome? Are you?"

Kagome was frozen. Now what? She looked at her friends, who were all staring at her in shock. Then she looked at her mate. He just looked back.

"Fine! You want them to know the truth? Then you tell them," she yelled. "have fun explaining it, bakayasha... I'll just sit here and enjoy watching you try to figure this one out!" And she leaned back on the couch, curled her legs under her and put her nose in the air.

At that, the girls turned and stared at him. He'd really done it now. Crap. He glared over at Kagome, and she grinned malevolently back. "Well... ummm, yeah... okay."

Yuka broke into his stammering. "What did you mean, the human term for it... aren't you human?"

"Keh! No way! I'm only half human. I'm a hanyou." He stuck his nose in the air. "You humans are pretty weak, you know....." he trailed off as he caught sight of the look in Kagome's eyes.

"Hanyou - half demon? But demons are just myths... right?" Ayumi looked at Kagome. "Aren't they?"

Inuyasha snorted, and then took off his hat, and drawing the girls attention to his head, he wiggled his ears at them. "Don't those look real enough?" He grinned at his woman, then.

"Kagome really loves these ears, ya know. First thing she did when she met me was rub them. Couldn't resist... and still can't!"

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi were still staring at his ears. Finally Yuka broke away from the sight and looked at Kagome. "Okay... now I've seen everything. But still, Kagome, what did he mean 'wife'? And if he doesn't call it that, what does he call it?"

"Nope! I'm not saying anything. Inuyasha can explain it all by himself. Direct all questions his way." Kagome folded her arms over her chest and sniffed.

"Well, Inuyasha? Explain." Eri wasn't backing down.

"Youkai and hanyou don't get married. So 'wife' isn't quite the same, but it's close. Kagome is my mate. Lifebonded mate. Which means," he held up his hand to forestall the next question, "that Kagome will live as long as I do... and age the same way. I'm already two hundred years old in youkai years, but in human years I'm the same age as Kagome, if that tells you anything about how I age. It also means that Kagome and I will be together forever, even when we die. We'll never be parted from each other."

He looked at Kagome. "It's much more involved than what humans do," he sighed, then grinned. "See, wench," he snorted, "that wasn't that hard to explain."

Kagome laughed at him. "You think that's it? You're gonna be stuck here answering questions until they go home, Inuyasha. I, on the other hand, am going to go study." And smirking at his suddenly horrified look, she stood up and walked out of the room.

Oh, she is so gonna pay for that, he thought acidly.

---sSs---

"Ah, Kanna. Come. I have a job for you. I want you to follow Inuyasha and his friends. Do nothing but follow and watch for now." Naraku watched the girl as she slowly turned and left the room, before rising to his feet and also leaving the room, through a different door.

There is a room, here, in this place, that calls to him, and he can hardly wait to reach it. Inside this room, a nursery, if you will, are all the things he needs to create his incarnations. It is a room of suffering, a room of pain; such places are the blood of life to Naraku.

The pain of others, it is necessary for him, as air is for others.

Right now, in this room, there is a new creation, a new incarnation of himself being forged... through great suffering. It whimpers and moans, wordlessly crying out.

Into this place Naraku comes, wanting only to cause more pain.

"I see you are awake, Kichiro, for the time being, anyway. Are you thinking of Inuyasha? And Kagome, the one who betrayed you? Think, Kichiro - while you are here, they are enjoying their lives, happy, content. Have you thought about the fact that she is the hanyou's mate? Imagine, that worthless half breed touching your woman, mating her, spilling his seed in her... all the things you once wanted for yourself, and she denied you."

Naraku chuckled at the rage that flickered through the room at his words.

"How does it feel, human, to be denied your future by a bastard from the past?"

Yes - this may just be what I've needed to get rid of this stupid human heart...

The thing that was once human, once a man, flinched and screamed at the words burning their way into its soul. Anger, hatred, these were all it could recall now, it remembers nothing of happiness or peace.

And it fought, fought the bonds placed on it by the creature in front of it, the one taunting it... but it could not break free, and so it listened, listened as the words came, and brought with them more pain... and more rage.

If nothing else, the words brought rage - and rage would free it, feed it...

Rage would bring it peace.