InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Journey of the soul: The panther devas' plot ❯ A sister's bond ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are the actual work of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own them in any way.

 

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Chapter 2: A sister's bond

 

Taking an arrow from her quiver, Kikyo calmly notched it on her bow and took careful aim of the target she had just set herself. She felt the familiar resistance of the string as she pulled her arrow back and the strain of the wood as it bent over backward. Emptying her head of all thoughts, she focused all her attention on the round circle painted on a tree trunk exactly one hundred paces from her position. She waited for that familiar sensation of unity that came when you and your target became one and then, she let her arrow fly.

 

The projectile sailed through the air with a whizzing sound and met its intended target in an explosion of splinter. When everything had calmed down, the trunk of the tree now sported a neat hole and her arrow was fished in the ground more than fifty paces further.

 

"Remind me not to get in the way of that," commented Inuyasha from his spot behind the miko.

 

"I'll be sure to keep it in mind," replied Kikyo seriously.

 

Four days had passed now since she had completely awakened. After a long argument, she had been able to worm out of Kaede what exactly she had done before awareness returned to her. It had been unnerving to learn that she had behaved like a mere animal, attacking both Inuyasha and her own sister. She knew that for these two, the case was essentially closed, that now that she had managed to come back, she'd never return to that state ever again.

 

Kikyo herself was not so sure however. She could feel something grow inside of her. Something dark and primitive that was roaming just below the surface. For now, the thing seemed content to simply be there and do nothing, but if it ever awakened, then the miko wasn't sure she'd be able to keep it in check.

 

As it that wasn't enough, she had to struggle with a constant multi-sensory assault caused by senses that seemed to have grown at least ten times sharper than they had ever been. Scents, sounds, tastes, touching, even her eyesight had grown more sensitive. Thanks to that the world was so in focus that if her miko training hadn't given her a perfect capacity for concentration, she'd have gone crazy a long time ago.

 

"What's the matter?" questioned the hanyou when he saw the woman's expression.

 

"Nothing, I was just thinking about what happened," lied Kikyo.

 

"Yeah, I can't forgive that bastard for what he did. I'm going to go after him soon," growled the hanyou in barely restrained anger.

 

"I cannot forgive him either," replied the miko firmly. "And I cannot allow him to keep the shikon jewel, who knows what calamity he will bring forth with it."

 

"Seems like we have a common goal. When do you wanna leave?" questioned Inuyasha curiously.

 

"I've fully recovered from my injury so I'm ready to leave but..." hesitated the woman.

 

"But?" urged the hanyou.

 

"I cannot figure out what to do about Kaede," she admitted somberly.

 

"What do you mean? Why not just leave her here?" asked Inuyasha, not really understanding Kikyo's worries.

 

"Think for a second Inuyasha. Whoever pinned us against each other was aware of what was going on between us. If we decide to put ourselves in his way, then do you think he will hesitate for even one second to use my sister against us?" shot back the miko with an edge in her voice.

 

The hanyou remained silent for a few seconds as he thought things through a little. He had to admit that what Kikyo was saying made sense... far too much sense for comfort in fact.

 

"We can't very well take her with us, she'll only slow us down," he finally said contritely.

 

"I know that too, that's why I'm so worried. I can't leave her here and I can't take her with me. There's just no right way out of this," she snapped angrily.

 

"Why not just hide her then? Don't you know a place where she'd be safe?" he asked.

 

At once, illumination painted the miko's features. It was plain that the alternative the hanyou had presented had not even crossed her mind and the way she was now looking at him, it appeared as if the solution to all their problems had just presented itself. She opened her mouth to speak... but was interrupted by an alarmed scream.

 

"SISTERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Kaede, panically.

 

Shifting their gazes, they were just in time to see the child bolt out of the woods, completely out of breath. "Kaede, what's wrong?" questioned the miko in obvious concern.

 

"S... Sis... ter... it... it's... O... Oni... gu... mo," panted the girl.

 

At the name, the woman jerked violently. "What about him?" she asked, her voice taking a distinctly wary tone.

 

"H... He's... gone," answered Kaede laboriously.

 

"Gone!?" exclaimed Kikyo incredulously.

 

"The... entire... cave was... burned away. There's... nothing left," explained the child laboriously.

 

"That's impossible! Even if the torch lighting the cave had caused a fire, the resulting blaze would not have been strong enough to incinerate Onigumo's entire body," thought the miko in complete bafflement.

 

"Get on my back," suddenly cut in Inuyasha, thus snapping the miko out of her stupefied daze.

 

"W... What?" asked the woman, surprised by the offer.

 

"You want to see what happened right?" he asked and Kikyo could only nod. "Then get on. I can run faster than either of you."

 

For a split second, the miko appeared to be hesitating, but then her features hardened and she climbed on the hanyou's back.

 

"Sister... are you sure about this?" questioned Kaede, looking mighty unsure about the whole situation.

 

"Shut up and get on or we're leaving you behind!" barked Inuyasha impatiently.

 

Frowning in disapproval, Kaede obeyed nonetheless and she settled as best as she could beside her sister.

 

"About time! Where to now?" he questioned sharply.

 

"The marsh, that's where the cave is," answered Kikyo.

 

"Good then hang on tight," warned the hanyou before exploding into a run, causing the two passengers to gasp in surprise. "So who's this Onigumo anyway?"

 

"He was a thief I found one day. He was badly burned and both his legs were broken. At first, I thought he wouldn't make it but surprisingly, after a time, he started to recover. Still, when I found him, his spine had been broken in what I suppose was a terrible fall and no amount of healing could repair that much damage," explained Kikyo.

 

"So basically, what you're saying is that he couldn't move even if he wanted to," replied Inuyasha.

 

"Precisely, that's why I find this rather puzzling. The only thing burning in his cave was a single torch. No matter how I look at it, I can't see how Onigumo's entire body could have burned away without leaving even a bone behind," answered the woman.

 

"Yeah, especially near the marsh where everything's so damp and humid," admitted the hanyou out loud. "What on earth could have possibly happened in this cave?" he thought to himself, unable to shake the growing sense of unease spreading through his gut.

 

******

 

"So this is the place right?" asked the hanyou, nodding toward the cave before them.

 

"Yes, this is where Onigumo was resting," answered Kikyo.

 

"There's no lingering smell of smoke in the air. How old was this fire supposed to be anyway?" questioned Inuyasha turning a rather suspicious look toward Kaede.

 

For some reason, Kaede looked away and a deep blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks.

 

"Kaede what's the matter?" pressed Kikyo when she saw her sister's reaction.

 

"Because of what happened to you I..." gulped the child. "I... forgot about him."

 

"You mean to say that you left Onigumo here alone for more than a week?" repeated the woman, frowning in disapproval. "Kaede how could you? He was completely helpless!"

 

"Well I was worried about you! And it's not exactly like anyone will miss him! His soul was so rotten that I'm surprised his body hadn't followed suit!" exclaimed the girl defensively.

 

"That's no excuse!" snapped the miko angrily. "A patient is a patient! Your job isn't to judge those you treat, but to treat them regardless of whether they are evil or not!"

 

"I know that! But..."

 

"Are you two quite finished with your silly bickering? I'd like to check out this cave before the sun sets!" cut in Inuyasha impatiently.

 

"You wait here girl. We'll talk about this later," said Kikyo darkly before turning around and walking briskly away.

 

The moment the miko entered the cave, the thing inside her brutally awakened. Searing pain exploded in her head, causing her to lose her balance and slide down the rest of the way. When she stopped falling, she immediately started writhing on the ground, clutching her head in agony. In one desperate effort to stop the blazing pain ripping her very soul apart, Kikyo gathered all the strength she could muster and, for lack of a better way to put it, pushed back on the thing inside of her. At first, there was a bit of resistance, but after a while, the thing settled back down, leaving her panting and sweating.

 

"Kikyo! Are you okay? What happened?" called the voice of Inuyasha.

 

Looking up, she noticed he was just now finishing his descent. Her whole ordeal seemed to have taken less time than she had expected. "I... don't know," she answered truthfully.

 

"Will you be okay?" questioned the concerned hanyou.

 

"Yes, the crisis seems to have passed," she replied while laboriously pulling herself to her feet.

 

"Well if anything like that happens again, I'm pulling you out of here," grumbled Inuyasha.

 

"Deal... but I doubt I shall fall prey to this again," added the woman.

 

While there was no real way to explain how she could be so sure of herself, she somehow knew. For some reason, the entire episode had left her under the impression that the thing inside of her had been... surprised out of its dormancy and had panicked. Now though, it seemed to have recovered most of its calm, even if it was still a bit unsettled by the eerie atmosphere of the cave.

 

"If you say so," muttered the hanyou, not looking at all convinced. "Well, in any case, what do you think happened here? Judging from the burn marks, it must have been one hell of an inferno," he added, deciding to return to their original purpose.

 

"Yes... an inferno far too hot to have been caused by a torch," replied the woman pensively. "What's more, I do think you too can feel the peculiar aura of this place."

 

"Yeah, it makes my hair stand on end just to stay in here. I've never felt something quite so evil before. It's like the aura of a youkai... only a hundred times more powerful," said the hanyou uneasily.

 

"That's not all Inuyasha, look at this. This is the place where Onigumo was lying... The stone isn't just blackened, it's actually melted," added Kikyo in confusion.

 

"So what does this mean? That Onigumo was the source of this blaze? It doesn't make any sense! A human body can't possibly generate a blaze of this magnitude," replied the hanyou in confusion.

 

"That's true but..." trailed off the miko, but then her eyebrows twitched as an idea suddenly crossed her mind. "Inuyasha, how old exactly do you think this blaze is?"

 

"Well, I don't know. Judging from the state of the cave, I'd say about a week or so," answered the hanyou.

 

"How about... eleven days?" questioned Kikyo with an intense frown of concentration.

 

"Yeah, maybe. But why eleven da..." started Inuyasha before his mind abruptly caught on to what Kikyo was getting to. "Kikyo you can't possibly mean..."

 

"Think about it Inuyasha, don't you find it strange that a mysterious individual suddenly pops out of nowhere and pins us one against the other at the same time that Onigumo vanishes in a blaze?" questioned the woman.

 

"Yeah I do, but how could he do this? You said yourself that he couldn't move," retorted the hanyou. "And besides, human can't change shapes."

 

"No... but youkai sometimes can," added the miko hauntedly.

 

"Youkai? Kikyo what in the blazes are you getting at?" exclaimed Inuyasha impatiently.

 

"Inuyasha, the word evil doesn't even begin to describe Onigumo. His soul was blacker and more rotten that I had ever thought possible. So imagine him, lying here, helpless and completely immobile, the shikon jewel lying just barely out of his reach. He must have been boiling with anger and frustration. Youkai would have been drawn to this like moths to a flame," said Kikyo patiently.

 

"Okay, so we have hundreds of youkai facing a helpless man... I'd say they must have found him pretty tasty," commented the hanyou sardonically.

 

"Not if his soul was too evil for them to overcome," countered the miko extremely seriously. "In that case, he would have started devouring them instead."

 

Inuyasha gaped in open wonder before shaking his head in disbelief. "Kikyo, do you have any idea of just how evil a person must be to actually accomplish this? I'm not certain someone like that even has a soul in the first place!" he exclaimed.

 

"I'd say the concentration inside this cave is about right wouldn't you say? And what's more, by absorbing a hundred demon into himself, there would have been a tremendous release of energy as the life-flows of many became one," retorted the woman.

 

"Kikyo, if what you say is true then..." trailed off the hanyou, unable to finish his sentence.

 

"What we're up against is an abomination of nature that is both stronger and more evil than any we've encountered so far," finished the miko grimly. "That is why it is imperative that we defeat him and recover the jewel before he has a chance to use it."

 

"Yeah, that's rather obvious... but what about Kaede?" questioned the hanyou.

 

"We'll just have to figure something out," she said firmly before heading out. "For now, let us concentrate on preparing our journey."

 

Surprised by the abruptness of the answer, Inuyasha looked at the retreating form of the miko for a few seconds before shrugging and following after her. A few minutes after they were gone, a bee-like shape moved from one of the dark corners of the cave and flew out to report what it had just seen and heard.

 

******

 

For the pair, the rest of the day was spent gathering whatever they thought they would need. While Kaede put together a few spare uniform for her sister, Inuyasha went and gathered whatever food he could find that would fit in a traveling pouch. For her part, Kikyo busied herself with preparing medicine and ointments that they were sure to need in case of a battle. All in all, the three made very good time in their preparations and by the time the sun disappeared over the horizon, the traveling bags were done and ready.

 

"So, have you decided what to do with Kaede?" questioned the hanyou when they had all settled down.

 

"What do you mean what to do with me? I'm coming along with you am I not?" cut in the girl in a determined tone.

 

"Don't be foolish, you can't come with us, it's far too dangerous!" countered Inuyasha.

 

"You're not my father! You can't tell me what to do!" exclaimed the child hotly.

 

"Now now Kaede, I must agree with Inuyasha on this one. Coming with us is much too dangerous. That's why I want you to stay here and wait for us," interrupted the miko in a perfectly calm voice.

 

"Are you sure it's wise?" questioned the hanyou doubtfully.

 

"I will put a barrier around the house that will keep youkai from approaching. It should be enough to protect her," answered the woman.

 

"And what about when I'm not in the house? I can't very well stay cooped up in here all day. I'll go crazy in no time," said Kaede, visibly not liking the idea of being separated from her sister.

 

"Then wear this charm," said the woman, producing a small necklace from one of her pockets. "With this on, no youkai will be able to touch you without being instantly purified."

 

"Do I even get a say in this?" grumbled the child contritely.

 

"Kaede, you know I'm doing this to protect you. There's no telling what dangers Inuyasha and I will encounter," argued Kikyo patiently.

 

"All the more reason for me to come! What if something bad happens to you? Who will treat your wounds then?" shot back Kaede in alarm.

 

"All the more reason for you not to come!" snapped the miko so sharply that her sister jerked.

 

"Sister..." trailed off the child, taken aback by the woman's vehemence.

 

"Kaede, since I am the guardian of the jewel, it is my duty to find and defeat those who try to steal it. Now if anything were to happen to me, then this duty would be passed on to you. It is not a responsibility I wish to burden you with, but I must plan for the worst. No matter what happens, you at least must live on," explained Kikyo more calmly.

 

"NO!" cried the ten years old. "I don't want to lose you! You almost died already I can't bear the thought of never seeing you again!"

 

"And Kikyo can't bear the thought of you dying either!" snapped Inuyasha in annoyance. "That's why she wants you to stay here, because she's not sure she can protect you at all time!"

 

"But..." tried to argue the girl, but Inuyasha would have none of this.

 

"But nothing!" he barked. "Even if you do come with us, there's nothing you can do! You'll only slow us down! The only thing you can do for us right now is do as you're told!"

 

"Sister... please," begged Kaede, trying to appeal to her sister one last time.

 

"I'm sorry Kaede, my decision is final," refused the miko.

 

Sadness clouded the child's features for a few seconds before they closed up once again, replaced with something that hovered between anger and determination. "If you die, I'm naming my first son Onigumo," muttered Kaede darkly. "So you'd better come back to me if you don't want to have a nephew bearing the name of the one who stole the jewel from you!"

 

This time, it was Kikyo's turn to jerk. She had visibly not expected such a reaction from her sister and it showed plainly on her features. After a while though, a small smile graced her lips and she even let out a small giggle of amusement.

 

"I'll make sure to remember that when we face the real Onigumo in battle," she finally said lightly.

 

******

 

For Inuyasha, the night passed on relatively quietly. He fell asleep almost immediately after having eaten his meal and he sank deeper into unconsciousness than he could ever remember sinking. At one point during the night however, he became aware that something was off in his immediate surroundings. Fighting off the thick fog of sleep encircling his mind, he managed to pry open his eyes and look around. Before his eyes, Kikyo was sitting in a praying position, her face a mask of intense concentration. That was about all he had time to see before the mist encircling his mind thickened once more and he fell back asleep.

 

A bit later, the same instinct that had awakened him did so again. Once more, opening his eyes was a struggle, as if someone had attached weights to his lids in order to force them downward. This time, what he saw was Kikyo scrambling toward the door with Kaede following not far behind.

 

"I wonder where they're going," he thought before his eyelids closed once again.

 

Due to his groggy state, it took him quite some time to realize the full implication of what he had said. Still, as time passed, the fog paralyzing his mind gradually lifted, allowing the gears that had been glued in place to turn again.

 

"Wait a minute... Kikyo and Kaede leaving in the middle of the night?" he mused, instantly bolting awake.

 

In a tenth of a second he was on his feet, ready to bolt through the door, but what he saw made him freeze dead in his tracks. Kikyo and Kaede were both lying comfortably on their futons, fast asleep not five feet away from him. Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming, the hanyou shook his head in disbelief.

 

"What the fuck's going on here?" he muttered in total surprise.

 

Slowly making his way to the sleeping miko, he brought his face within an inch of hers and started sniffing discreetly. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her scent, she looked exactly the same... and nothing in the hut was out of place.

 

"A dream?" he reflected in confusion.

 

Before he could go much further in his reasoning, the woman suddenly opened her eyes. There was a split-second of absolute stillness during with both hanyou and human just stared at each other, as if their mind could not quite comprehend what exactly was going on. But then, time resumed its normal course and with a frightened yelp, Kikyo sent the hanyou flat on his back with a resounding slap.

 

"What on earth did you think you were doing!?" she exclaimed when she had recovered from her surprise.

 

The hanyou opened his mouth to answer, but he stopped short. What could he possibly answer anyway? That he had been checking to make sure she was real because of a stupid dream he had? Fat chance she'd buy such a lame explanation.

 

"Nothing," he grumbled while picking himself up from his sprawled position.

 

Casting him an extremely suspicious glance, Kikyo lied back down on her futon and turned away. "Next time a silly idea like this crosses your mind, leave me out of it," she muttered and pulled back her cover.

 

"Well, at least I know she's real," reflected the hanyou while massaging his still stinging cheek.

 

Casting one last distasteful look at the miko's futon, Inuyasha closed his eyes and let the blissful oblivion of sleep claim him once again.

 

******

 

Basked in the warm rays of the rising sun, Kikyo stood outside her door, repeating her safety tips to her younger sister for what was possibly the thousandth time that morning.

 

"... and remember to wear your necklace at all time. Who knows when or if the attack will come," concluded the miko seriously.

 

Trying to appear as if she wasn't bored out of her mind by the repetitive lecture, Kaede nodded to her sister in understanding. "I'll be fine sister. Don't worry about me. 'Focus on your target in front of you until the rest fades away' right?" winked the girl, causing Kikyo blink in surprise.

 

"Well, it seems you were paying more attention than I thought during your archery lessons," observed the miko.

 

"Hmpf, you make it sound as if I never listen to you," huffed the child in mock annoyance. "In any case, you worry about Onigumo and I'll worry about staying out of trouble okay?"

 

"Deal," answered Kikyo with a nod and a smile.

 

With that said, she turned around and walked toward Inuyasha who was waiting patiently a short distance away. When she had reached the hanyou though, she was stopped by her sister's voice.

 

"Sister, you'll come back right? Promise me you'll come back!" called Kaede in a teary voice.

 

Glancing back at the diminutive form of the ten years old, Kikyo felt her eyes mist over in sudden sadness. "I will not curse my future nephew with such a vile name as Onigumo... sister," she finally answered before turning her attention onward again.

 

It felt strange. All these years spent rising Kaede... and never once had she ever called the girl by anything but her name. She never clearly understood it herself. It was always a thing that simply was between them. Kaede would acknowledge their bond out loud while she would do the same mutely.

 

From the start that was how things had gone. Kaede reading her unspoken words and she trying her best to accept her frank and outright affection. Two faces of the same coin, one outspoken and the other mute and timid. They completed each other perfectly and their relationship had bloomed this way.

 

Now however, as she stood on the eve of her departure, she realized that there was no guarantee that she'd ever make it back alive. This was what had brought on her sudden change in name. She wanted Kaede to know that she cared for her and that she wanted more than anything else for her to be happy.

 

Of course, she'd never be able to say that much aloud, there were limits to how much she was willing to open up after all. But she was certain Kaede had understood her meaning perfectly.

 

"Of course she understood. She is my sister after all," she reflected, unable to keep her lips from quirking into a tiny grin.

 

Yes, Kaede was and would always remain her beloved little sister... and no Onigumo or shikon jewel would ever be able to change this.