InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ LOVE POISON ❯ Listen To Reason: The Hanyou Is Back ( Chapter 11 )

DISCLAIMER: Don't own, don't sue. Although I'm beginning to suspect someone here is Rumiko Takahashi in disguise...and she won't give me her autograph! Yup, YOU know who you are!

I apologize for the delay. I had a tough week, and Scherezade like always helped me so much! Big hugs, a lifetime supply of ramen and pocky and my endless gratitude to my amazing talented and wonderful co-writer (I SO love that word! Look, I'm a co-writer!) and great friend Scherezade who helped me so much with this ch! I'm SO honored to be working with you, girl! But that's no news to you, ne? :) Ahem...go read our story! I command you to review it; Scherezade has more talent in her little toe than I do in my entire body lol...(look, she's blushing, but it's TRUE :P) And btw, review LP too!!! C'mon you guys!!! You know you WANT to!

 

On to the chap...hope you like it!

 

 

CHAPTER 11: LISTEN TO REASON: THE HANYOU IS BACK

 

 

Back at Kaede's village, Miroku had taken the arm of a very stunned Inuyasha and pulled him aside, as Sango and Kaede talked with a small group of villagers.

 

Kaede was currently speaking to the head of the village - a tall, skinny man with a permanent scowl on his face. The man listened to the old miko, stealing quick glances at the confused hanyou, only to then avert his gaze in barely masked fear to fix his eyes on the miko's good eye.

 

Sango was speaking calmly to a woman with trails of dry tears on her pale face. The woman was listening to the demon exterminator intently, her eyes searching Sango's face for the tiniest hint of lies. At the woman's side stood her small son, who looked up at the exterminator with his full attention, a small frown creasing his brow.

 

Once Miroku and Inuyasha were out of earshot, the monk released Inuyasha's arm and stared at him right in the eye, his violet gaze piercing yet not unkind, his expression serious and patient as Inuyasha processed what the monk had just told him.

 

"Okay, let me get this straight..." Inuyasha began as his golden, unbelieving eyes scrutinized Miroku's stern but sympathetic face.

"If I rebuild the huts and apologize to the villagers, no harm done?" The hanyou arched his dark eyebrows in disbelief.

 

"That is correct, Inuyasha. I must say, these people are quite understanding. They have no clue what happened to you, but we provided them with the necessary information..."

 

"You did WHAT?" Inuyasha shouted.

 

"Calm down, my friend. All that these innocent people know is that your youkai blood took over you and you were not yourself. Isn't that correct?"

 

Inuyasha looked at his feet, feeling very much ashamed but covering it up with an angry scowl.

 

"Yeah." He mumbled.

 

"You have Kaede-sama to thank for this, Inuyasha. No one would doubt the village's miko's word. They have all agreed, since you have harmed no one..." Miroku looked uncomfortable for a moment but masked his uneasiness with a blank expression, clearing his throat. "Meaning, no one was hurt. Nevertheless, you have destroyed their village...so you will still be welcomed here as long as you repair the damage you have caused and swear this will not happen again."

 

The shame melted away into bitter fury as the hanyou bared his fangs at the monk. "Look, it wasn't me! I didn't trash the village! He did it, okay?!" Inuyasha hollered, making a few heads turn in their direction.

 

Kaede sighed and shook her head sadly. The head villager turned sharply at the hollering and his face paled visibly.

 

Sango looked up from the game Kirara was currently playing with the children and glanced at Miroku, not daring to look at the upset hanyou in the eye.

 

The monk shot Sango a helpless look and offered her a small shrug. He then turned back to his fuming friend.

 

"We are all aware of that, Inuyasha. Sango and I will help you rebuild the village..." The monk began.

 

"It would take too fucking long! I don't have time to..." Inuyasha started, but was abruptly cut off when Miroku hit him on the head with his staff.

 

"You were saying?" The monk asked calmly, violet eyes narrowing.

 

"You're so dead, houshi..." Inuyasha muttered.

 

"You have been forgiven by these humble people, Inuyasha. Even though you could have caused - a lot of harm to them if Kaede-sama and myself had not erected a barrier to protect them. You are fully aware of this, too, are you not?"

 

Miroku's eyes darkened slightly and his voice lowered. "You lost control there, Inuyasha. You could have killed innocent people. Sango and I know this, Shippo knows this, and so does Kaede-sama...but the inhabitants of this village you claim to protect do not know that. And they're better off not knowing it. If you had so much as seriously injured one of them, you wouldn't be standing here. You know this as well as I do. So for once in your life, Inuyasha - listen to reason."

 

Inuyasha looked away from Miroku's intense gaze and sighed in defeat, the scowl leaving his face only to be replaced by a pout, making him look very young. As the hanyou's amber eyes glazed over, Miroku thought for an instant that time had turned back. The powerful, stubborn dog demon who had been standing before him had reverted to being a helpless hanyou pup - one who was about to burst into tears, at that.

 

"It wasn't me." Inuyasha mumbled in a very low voice, but the monk didn't hear him.

 

Inuyasha could smell the metallic, sharp scent of his own blood as his claws pierced his palms, fists shaking at his sides.

 

The boyish look on the inu hanyou's face had vanished so fast, Miroku doubted it had ever been there to begin with. Inuyasha looked like he wanted to shred something.

 

The dog demon's claws dug further into his palms and the blood flowed. A few droplets fell to the ground.

 

Miroku sighed, regarding his hanyou friend sympathetically, trying not to look down at the blood that was spilling slowly from Inuyasha's palms and making two small, angry crimson pools at his feet.

"Inuyasha...this is your forest. And this is the village you protect, is it not?"

 

Sango approached the two friends shyly, leaving Shippo to play with Kirara and the village children, oblivious to the grown-up's discussion.

 

"Inuyasha..." She said gently. "We've seen you transform before. We know what it's like, and we have a pretty good idea of what it is you feel when you - when you turn back to normal. And we fear for you. We're your friends. But these people did not know what was happening, and they were scared...very scared. They trusted you. And thanks to Kaede-sama, they still do. Some are not so willing to take her word, but she's managed to convince most of the villagers that you weren't conscious of what you were doing..."

 

Inuyasha unclenched and clenched his fists repeatedly, as if he didn't quite know what to do with his hands, now bleeding profusely, and bit his bottom lip to keep himself from repeating that it hadn't been him, but he would never admit to anyone that he could not control his youkai blood. That he had allowed the bastard to toy with his mind, that the monster had broken free of his prison without Inuyasha's consent...just because he could... that his Father's fang had done nothing to prevent this at the time, and that he remembered everything.

 

He remembered the children's tears, the unbearable smell of fear coming from the villagers, the heart breaking sound of the women's weeping, the stench of his half brother's burnt flesh...he remembered the stink of his own vomit...Gods, how he wished he didn't!

 

Inuyasha finally let his hands fall limp at his sides, the wounds healing quickly, and he tried to cling to sanity the only way he knew how...

 

He thought only of Kagome, smelled the sweet scent of her, savoured her delicious, intoxicating taste...so good, she tasted so good...he could never get enough of her essence...he could hear his own name leaving Kagome's exquisite lips in tiny moans, in loud gasps, hear his Kagome crying out for him as she came, felt her wet little mouth kissing him breathless, her eager tongue caressing him and sucking on his...

 

Kagome's soft, gentle voice telling him he was beautiful, her small, delicate hands shyly exploring his bare chest...stroking his ears...such sweet insanity...

 

Kagome's aura soothing his youki, pulsing with it; the unmistakable taste of her skin mingled with her sweat.

 

Kagome's beautiful, flushed face, her eyes full of overwhelming love for him.

Inuyasha heard her pant the words he so longed to say to her as if she was whispering them in his ear right there and then...

 

I love you...

 

Inuyasha shut his eyes, longing for her, his soul crying out to hers, five hundred years away from him...and yet he could feel his Kagome as if she was standing right next to him, her presence and aura protecting him, covering him like a second skin, her soft, warm little hand holding his reassuringly.

 

Inuyasha could still smell her on himself; he licked his lips and he could still taste Kagome's feverish kisses, her sweet, strong arousal...

 

The hanyou sighed deeply, longingly, and finally opened his eyes.

His entire body relaxed, he straightened his back, and he summoned the courage to look at his friends, seeing only concerned, sympathetic faces.

 

Inuyasha felt a strange but welcomed calm settle over him, soothing his senses. He could think clearly now.

 

He looked from Miroku to Sango and nodded slowly, ears flattened against his skull.

 

"Fine. I'll rebuild the fucking village. But I won't apologize, damn it!"

 

'Because I didn't do it! Shit, it wasn't me!'

 

Miroku hit him on the head with his staff again.

 

"Inuyasha...you most certainly will. It doesn't matter if it was your youkai form that did - this...they don't know it. They think it was...'you'. So cast your foolish pride aside, and say you're sorry. What would Kagome-sama want you to do in this situation, Inuyasha, if she were here?"

 

That did it. The hanyou rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok! I will apologize! Happy now, monk? But don't expect a big show of it!"

 

"Good, good." Miroku held back a knowing smirk, resisting the urge to point out that his hanyou friend, who was nineteen years old, not counting the fifty years he had slumbered which hadn't changed him the slightest bit, was pouting once again like a naughty child who had just been grounded for being a bad little boy and breaking something valuable.

 

Also, he had hit a nerve by suggesting what Kagome-sama would say if she had indeed been

there...

 

Inuyasha turned and crossed his arms, pout still in place, as he slowly approached the old miko.

 

Shippo immediately jumped on the hanyou's head and began questioning him non-stop about Kagome.

"Oi, Inuyasha...how come you smell like Kagome? I mean...you smelled like her more than

usual earlier, but now you smell just like her! You don't stink like usual!"

 

"Shut the fuck up, runt!" Inuyasha slowly processed the kitsune's words and growled. "And I do

not stink!"

 

"You smell...kinda funny, too!" Shippo insisted, ignoring Inuyasha's last comment, his little nose twitching. Inuyasha grabbed the kitsune by the tail and looked at him right in the eye.

 

"Not. A. Word." He hissed between his teeth, his face beet red, amber eyes threatening the kit, but also showing a slight flicker of panic.

 

Bumping a small kitsune in the head and making him cry in front of all these people who had witnessed his youkai side trash their village and scream for their blood would not be a good

idea, as tempting as it sounded.

 

Miroku saw Inuyasha's expression and heard this little exchange between the hanyou and the fox youkai, and couldn't help but laugh low under his breath.

 

Sango shot him a confused look, but Miroku merely shook his head, incapable of opening his mouth, knowing that if he did he would burst out laughing so hard his stomach would hurt. Instead, the monk's face became red as he tried with all his might not to laugh at the very much embarrassed hanyou.

 

Miroku knew that Inuyasha hadn't 'gone too far' with Kagome, but he was also fully aware that there were... many other ways to please a woman, and apparently, Inuyasha had done just that when he'd visited the young miko in her time.

 

It had taken their hanyou friend quite a long time to return...

 

Miroku also knew, however, that this was certainly not the right time to tease Inuyasha about this...not after all that had happened earlier in the village.

 

But oh boy, Miroku promised himself that he would have a blast teasing his hanyou friend when the shock of what had taken place in the small village and the obvious regret and shame Inuyasha felt for what his full youkai side had done passed.

 

Of course, Miroku was concerned about having his manhood threatened again, but it was going to be worth it, just to see the look on Inuyasha's face.

 

The monk wondered how his hanyou friend would deny whatever had taken place in Kagome's world and what lame excuses he'd give to cover up his embarrasment.

 

Miroku almost felt sorry for him, really, almost, but not quite...at how the fully grown dog demon's face immediately turned bright red at the mere 'suggestion' of something that 'could' have happened...and now Miroku was dying to know precisely what shade of red Inuyasha's face would turn when he realised the monk had a pretty clear idea of what 'had' indeed taken place this time...

 

Miroku covered his mouth with his hand, biting his tongue, while Sango stared at him as if he had gone mad.

"Houshi-sama...are you all right?" The exterminator asked, arching an eyebrow.

Miroku, still incapable of speaking, nodded his head frantically.

 

Inuyasha left Shippo on the ground, unharmed, for the time being, and mumbled incomprehensible words under his breath, finally reaching Kaede and the few villagers gathered around the old miko.

 

Some of them regarded him with frightened looks, but none of them ran away from him in terror. They seemed...almost curious.

They were...waiting.

 

Inuyasha lowered his head in shame. He actually bowed as he muttered quickly: "I'm sorry, old hag... I mean, Kaede-baba...err...Kaede-sama...I will make up for this - this terrible misunderstanding...I swear on my honor it won't happen again."

Still bowing, he risked a timid glance at the villagers.

 

Inuyasha was beyond shocked when a little girl suddenly burst into tears and hugged his knees.

"Inuyasha-sama! I was soo scared! You weren't yourself! Even if you still had your cute puppy ears... you won't let us touch them but that's ok, you're a good demon! Please tell my mama that you're all better now? You don't look scary anymore! Mama... he's sorry, see?"

 

Inuyasha stared at the human whelp with wide, unbelieving eyes, then attempted a comforting

smile as he patted the child's head.

"Don't cry, pup. I still won't let you touch my ears, but please don't cry, okay? I'm all right, all better now. Oi, don't cry! Hey, are you deaf, brat? I said STOP that!"

 

Inuyasha looked up and met the frightened eyes of a pale young woman, fear written all over her face. Probably the whelp's mother, Inuyasha thought, grimacing inwardly at the scent of fear coming from her, at the harsh words he had spoken to the wailing brat.

 

"You the kid's mother?" Inuyasha asked, wincing once again at his harsh tone.

 

The woman flinched and nodded silently, looking at her daughter who was still hugging the

inu-hanyou's knees tightly, and back to Inuyasha, apparently trying to read his eyes.

 

"I'm sorry...I'm really, really sorry your whelp...I mean, your daughter, had to see - all that. What he...I mean, what I..." He cringed. "What I did. I can only swear to you it won't happen again. I won't hurt your pup...um...child. I won't harm any of you. I'll fix everything, I promise. Until you're ready to take my word, though, for what's it's worth...I'll stay away from all of you..."

 

The little girl sniffled. Inuyasha smiled down at her weakly. "It'll be okay, kid. Go back to your mother. You can let go now. Let go." The little girl shook her head stubbornly and clung to him.

 

"Let go, damn it!" Inuyasha growled, baring his fangs, and was immediately sorry when he saw the fearful look on her mother's face.

 

"Oi...c'mon, kid, let go. You don't want to upset your mama, do you?" He said as gently as he could manage.

She shook her head again and slowly let go of Inuyasha's knees. "Sorry, Inuyasha-sama. I just don't want you to leave us! If it wasn't for you...the evil youkai would have destroyed our village!"

 

Inuyasha sighed. The evil bastard that was his youkai form had already destroyed their village...

 

He shut his eyes and counted to ten. "I'll make it all better. Build you a brand new hut, how's that?"

 

Yes, that would be exactly what Kagome would have wanted him to say...

 

Shippo approached the little girl confidently and laid a tiny, comforting hand on her shoulder. "Inuyasha's not bad!" He said, his huge green eyes looking up at the human child's mother meaningfully. "He's a baka but he's not evil!"

 

"Runt..." Inuyasha began, shaking his fist in warning at the kitsune.

 

Shippo rolled his eyes. "He'll build you a palace! Right, Inuyasha?"

 

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha growled.

 

He was shocked when he heard the child's mother laugh softly. "It's all right, little one. He doesn't have to build us a palace...our hut wasn't destroyed by - by him." She flinched slightly.

 

The human child beamed at Inuyasha and whispered: "Mama forgives you."

 

Inuyasha arched his eyebrows and looked at the woman questioningly. She nodded reassuringly

as her daughter ran back to her mother's arms, and she kissed the little girl's cheek.

"Go play for a little while darling, it's past your bed time but I believe for tonight - it's all right."

She said, and smiled at Inuyasha weakly.

 

Inuyasha blushed. "Keh." He muttered, and turned away before making an even bigger fool of himself.

If another whelp came running to him and hugged him or cried, his mind would snap.

 

He approached the village headman and cleared his throat. "Um...I..."

 

"No need to say anything, hanyou." The man cut him off harshly. "Kaede-sama explained all we needed to know. But I'm not as forgiving as the women, or as children who don't know any better and find you 'cute' because of those - those 'ears', got it?"

 

Inuyasha bit his tongue to keep from yelling at the human male and nodded silently. He felt the irresistible urge to tear this particular man apart with his claws, but he was 'human'. And the man didn't know it hadn't been Inuyasha...it hadn't been him who had scared everyone, trashed the village...and he would never, ever hurt a helpless human, no matter how much they tested his patience...and yet...

 

Hanyou.

 

The people at the village had called him 'Inuyasha-sama' since he had been awakened by Kagome. This was the first time he could remember an inhabitant from the village he protected called him 'hanyou' in such a disrespectful manner.

 

All because of that bastard. Could Inuyasha really blame this man, or the many humans that would call him that and look down at him, or look away in fear?

Of course he couldn't. His youkai side had made damn sure Inuyasha deserved their fear, their contempt.

 

Inuyasha suddenly found himself thinking about his Mother; the day he had seen tears in her beautiful, midnight blue eyes for the first time.

 

That had been the day he had asked her what 'hanyou' meant.

Inuyasha had always known he was 'different' before then...but it was on that particular day that he began to understand just how different he was from everyone else.

 

Even at that tender age, Inuyasha knew full youkai looked down at him, but up until then, his whole life had consisted on feeling special and being loved unconditionally by his human mother...until mother and son had moved to a village.

 

Inuyasha had actually believed that, like his Mother, other humans would accept him and even like him. Of course, he'd known he was different and they probably wouldn't think of him as 'special'...he was not that naive, but he never would have thought they would show the same contempt full youkai felt for him.

 

After all, his Mother was human too, and she thought differently from the youkai Inuyasha had encountered so far, who had made it more than clear for him that 'special' was not exactly the word they would have used to describe him.

 

But living amongst other humans, Inuyasha had quickly discovered that they did not see him as 'special' either, they would spit at his feet and turn away from him in obvious disgust, would call him 'hanyou' in the exact same tone this man standing before Inuyasha now had used.

 

But he was no longer a pup. His Mother wasn't there to embrace him. And somehow Inuyasha felt it didn't matter that much anymore, because she had been the first one to try and show him he was special, not an abomination.

And now Inuyasha had Kagome...Kagome who thought he was beautiful, worthy of her, Kagome who loved him...as a hanyou.

 

So why should he give a shit if this man felt repulsed by him?

 

And yet he did.

He did, because Inuyasha believed he had earned these people's trust. He had secretly liked it when the children of the village talked about him like he was this big, powerful demon who would always protect them.

Inuyasha even liked it when they begged him for piggyback rides, despite the way he refused them with a very harsh: 'Do I look like a fucking horse to you?'

Until he'd seen the look on Kagome's eyes, that is. One glance from her, and Inuyasha had sighed, rolled his amber eyes, and carried five of the whelps at a time on his back for a little while, even though their high pitched little voices and giggles made his ears hurt.

 

The human whelps made his heart warm for reasons he couldn't understand entirely. Perhaps it was...acceptance? Admiration? He didn't really know, but Inuyasha had liked it, even though he hid it well and would continue to do so.

 

Like Souta...who thought he was a fucking hero...they believed in him, they felt safe under his protection. Until now, of course...

 

He pushed back the image of the headman from his mind and recalled the smile of the little girl's mother, her acknowledgement, her forgiveness. And the whelp, who instead of being frightened of him after seeing his youkai form trash her home, had run to him, hugged his knees and told him she knew he had not been 'himself'.

 

If only all the others would be as understanding as that...Inuyasha thought with a sigh as he looked at his feet.

 

If only Kagome was here. By the Gods, he missed her...

 

It was almost midnight...he couldn't very well start building huts at this hour.

 

Some of the villagers who were now homeless had already laid down to sleep by several small campfires Miroku and Sango had started for them with Shippo's help.

Most of the children had retreated to Kaede's hut, and the few huts that had survived were filled with women and children, while the men gathered outside.

 

Inuyasha was only too grateful he couldn't smell rain in the air as he sat down on Kaede's fence and looked up at the black midnight sky, a thoughtful look on his boyish face.

 

The New Moon...that would be tomorrow night, he thought with a grimace.

 

Shit.

 

He'd have to speak to Miroku and Sango eventually, tell them what Myoga had said to him, but not before he saw Kagome...would it be all right if he just left now, went back to her?

 

'Baka, you just came back from her time! And you told her to stay there! She's safe. Kagome is safe. So stop being such a...such a weakling and just - stay.'

 

Inuyasha winced and folded his arms, burying his hands in the sleeves of his haori, looking around at the remains of the village.

 

Miroku approached him silently. "So..." He began.

 

Sango followed, carrying a very tired Kirara in her arms. She had been playing with Shippo and the village children while the adults made their arrangments for the night and now the poor neko youkai was exhausted.

 

Inuyasha remained silent.

 

"What did Myouga-jiji say, Inuyasha?" Sango asked timidly.

 

"Keh."

 

Miroku resisted the temptation to clob his friend with his staff once more and sighed instead.

"Would you like to share, Inuyasha?" He offered.

 

"He didn't say nothin' I didn't already know." Inuyasha lied, turning his face away from his two human companions.

 

"So, I guess that means you will have to seek out Sesshoumaru." Miroku said, giving Sango a meaningful look.

 

"I'd rather eat shit, thank you very much." Inuyasha mumbled.

 

"Oh? And then what are you going to do about - this?" Sango asked, arching her eyebrows.

 

"Keh. I can control it." Inuyasha replied airily.

 

"If I may Inuyasha..." Miroku began carefully.

 

"You may not." Inuyasha growled at him. "Just...leave me alone, will you?! I'll figure out a way! Okay?!"

 

"Kagome-sama..."

 

"She's fine!" The hanyou snapped, his eyes hardening. "You all think I will hurt her, don't you?" His voice lowered.

 

Shippo, who had been overhearing this conversation, suddenly jumped on Inuyasha's shoulder, making the hanyou nearly lose his balance. Inuyasha glared at the kitsune, but was astounded when he heard him speak.

"I don't think you'll hurt Kagome!" He declared confidently. "And neither does Kirara, do you?" Shippo glanced at the small demon cat, who mewled in response.

 

Inuyasha stared from the kit on his shoulder to the neko youkai in disbelief. "Why not? I mean...why don't you think so?" His golden eyes then moved to Sango and Miroku, who were avoiding his gaze at all costs. "You seem to be the only ones." Inuyasha muttered.

 

"Why do you think so, baka?" Shippo asked in all honesty, wagging his cream colored tail.

 

"What do you know, runt?" The inu-hanyou growled.

 

Shippo shrugged. "I don't know how I know. Miroku and Sango already asked me. I just do." The kit beamed at him. "You wouldn't hurt

 

your mate

 

Kagome." Shippo declared, folding his little arms across his chest.

 

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened in shock as he recalled Myouga's words. He stared at Shippo in utter disbelief. Kirara yawned and regarded the inu-hanyou with wide, understanding crimson

eyes, tilting her head to one side, reassuring him, it seemed.

 

"Did you talk to Kagome about this, Inuyasha?" Sango finally asked, daring to look at him.

 

Inuyasha was silent. "Sort of. Yeah..." He said, blushing and shifting uncomfortably.

 

Miroku grinned and opened his mouth to speak but Sango elbowed him hard on the ribs and he doubled over in pain.

 

"What does she think?" Sango continued, ignoring the monk's moan of pain.

 

"She thinks I won't hurt her either." Inuyasha mumbled. "Keh. Stupid bitch doesn't know any better. I don't even know what that bastard can do. But I..." He bit his tongue.

 

He'd been about to say that he heard his youkai side speaking to him, that he knew what his youkai blood was demanding of him.

 

"Whatever made your youkai side believe we were hiding Kagome-chan from...him?" Sango pressed.

 

"How the hell should I know?!" Inuyasha yelled and jumped from the fence, starting to turn away from his companions and their irritating questions.

 

Shippo leapt from his shoulder and followed. Inuyasha stopped in his track and looked down at the kitsune.

"Get lost, brat. It's late and I'm fucking tired. I need to be alone."

 

Shippo scowled but nodded and scurried back to where Sango and Miroku stood.

 

"Inuyasha..." Miroku called, now recovered from Sango's blow.

 

"I said I need to be alone, monk." The hanyou replied harshly without turning around.

 

"But..." Sango started. Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder and silently shook his head.

 

"We'll be here, Inuyasha." He called to their friend. "When you are ready to talk...we will be ready to listen."

 

Inuyasha shot him a look over his shoulder and scowled. "Keh." He said, and leapt into the trees, vanishing from their sight.

 

Miroku and Sango sighed at the same time. "He'll never tell us, will he?" Sango asked eventually.

 

"I think he will...but it will take some...ah, how should I put it? Convincing." The monk's violet eyes glittered.

 

"What are you so confident about?" Sango asked suspiciously, hands on her hips.

 

"My sweet Sango...let's just say Inuyasha and Kagome-sama got real close tonight...am I mistaken, Shippo?"

 

Miroku looked down at the kitsune, who tried his best to look innocent for Inuyasha's sake and

put on his best I'm-just-a-kit-I-don't-know-anything-about-grown-up-things look.

 

"You said earlier Inuyasha smelled just like Kagome-sama, did you not, my young friend?" Miroku asked, arching an eyebrow.

 

"Um..." Shippo bit his lower lip. "Yeah but...but not in that way...not exactly like Kagome...he smelled more like her than this morning, though, but it was...funny..." His little nose wrinkled.

"He smelled funny. A lot like Kagome, but not like...like..."

 

"Like mating?" Miroku finished for him.

 

Sango turned beet red. "Houshi-sama!" She exclaimed.

 

"I guess so..." Shippo answered sheepishly.

 

Miroku stroked his chin with his hand. "Hmm...I see." He smiled brightly. "All Inuyasha needs is some convincing to open up to us. After all it will be for his own good. Don't you agree, Sango?"

 

This question was answered promptly by Hiraikotsu hitting the monk's head.

 

"Why, you..." Sango began, trembling with rage. "How can you possibly think of using this to your advantage?! Kagome-chan's our friend! And so is Inuyasha, irritating and violent as he can be sometimes, they do not deserve to be blackmailed with this! I don't know what happened, and neither do you, so don't you dare mention it to them!"

 

Miroku stared at her with wide, innocent eyes. "Sango, my dear! That was not my intention at all! I wasn't going to mention this to Kagome-sama! And it is not to my advantage, as you put it...you do want to help Inuyasha, don't you?"

 

"What has that got to do with it?" Sango hissed.

 

"Well...if he will not tell us willingly, we shall have to talk him into it!" Miroku said, innocent look still in place.

 

Shippo's green eyes widened. "Don't! Inuyasha will think I told you guys!" He wailed. "And...and

I don't even know what happened! He just...smells different, that's all!"

 

"Not different, Shippo. He smells like Kagome, isn't that correct?"

 

"But..." Shippo tried to object.

 

Sango sighed. "Houshi-sama...just forget it, all right? There is no way we can use this against Inuyasha! If anything, he will get mad! We need to let him know we understand..."

 

"But do we, Sango?" Miroku turned serious all of a sudden, frowning and looking down at his hand. "Do we?" He repeated softly. "Tetsusaiga did not seal his demon blood. Inuyasha went to see Kagome-sama. He didn't hurt her. Shippo here does not believe he will either. But how can we be so certain of that? And if Myouga-jiji told him something we should know about...if we can somehow help him and Kagome-sama..."

 

"Inuyasha will tell us when he's ready. I think today - was not a very good day for him, don't you agree? Don't answer that!" She added threateningly when she saw the smirk beginning to form on Miroku's lips. "We should leave him to his thoughts, houshi-sama." Sango said softly. "I know...I mean - I think your intentions are good..." She glared at him. "But that would be wrong. And we don't really know what happened between them back in Kagome-chan's world. All we know is she's safe. And that's enough for me. Now we have to help Inuyasha. Like Kaede-sama said, he will never ask for our help. But..."

 

"He needs us," Shippo finished for her, looking very determined.

 

Sango risked a small smile. "Yes, Shippo-chan. But for now, I think we should leave him alone." Her deep brown eyes pierced into Miroku. "Are we clear on this, houshi-sama?"

 

The monk flinched but smiled. "Indeed, Sango, my dear. We should definetely leave Inuyasha alone with his thoughts. After all...he has a lot to think about."

 

_______________________

 

 

Inuyasha sat on the highest branch of Goshinboku, arms behind his head, scowling at the world in general.

 

He kept glancing at the Bone Eater's well longingly, only to avert his eyes from it and growl at himself.

Thankfully, his youkai blood was silent.

 

Inuyasha was dreading tomorrow, dreading the New Moon and his weak human side...which now seemed, no, was definetely...weaker.

 

Perhaps you will find the answers you seek...on the night of the New Moon...

 

Inuyasha frowned. "Keh." He muttered to himself. "Stupid flea. What the hell does he know?

He's not the one having conversations with himself!"

 

The hanyou shifted and laid his head on the bark of his tree. Inuyasha shut his eyes but did not sleep. He tried not to think. He had the vague feeling that his mind would snap if he even tried to process everything that had happened that day.

 

He saw Kagome in his mind's eye and smiled, a soft little sigh leaving his lips. A low, contented rumble erupted from his chest and his body relaxed. Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga tightly in his hands.

 

He was so tired...mentally and physically drained...but the memory of what had happened in Kagome's little, pink room melted away the pain and for the time being, silenced the persistent youkai blood that pulsed hotly in his veins.

 

He concentrated on the sounds and smells of the night and the forest, ears twitching slightly.

 

Make the hurt go away...

...Take your chosen one and mark her as your own...

...Do not rush things...nothing good will come of it...

 

His eyes opened and he sighed deeply. Perhaps if he slept his mind would let him be. And he was tired...so very tired...

 

Inuyasha stole a quick glance at the old well again, smiled to himself and closed his eyes. Sleep, yes...Kagome was asleep back in her time, she was safe...

 

She's your soulmate, is she not?

 

Inuyasha kept hearing Myouga's words in his head. He'd never imagined he'd think this, but hearing the old flea's voice was actually comforting...especially compared to hearing the taunts of his cruel youkai side voice...

 

At long last, sleep claimed him.

 

________________________

 

 

"This way." Kagura instructed although the dead miko was already ahead of her and knew exactly where she was heading.

 

Kikyou's powerful aura pulsed around her. Kagura shuddered as she kept her distance, muttering under her breath about scary dead witches who stank up the place.

 

Not that the place smelled of roses, courtesy of Naraku's poisonous fumes, the castle took some getting used to. Kagura was most definetely not a happy wind sorceress when the stink of death and decay the priestess carried with her was added to the stench of the place.

 

Naraku sat by the window in his white silk kimono, long dark hair falling down his back in waves, red eyes glowing in the darkness.

 

Kanna stood nearby, staring into nothingness, ink black eyes not even acknowledging the new presence in the vast, empty room.

 

"Naraku." Kikyou's voice seemed to add a layer of ice on the entire castle, and Kagura couldn't stop herself from shivering.

 

"Ah, Kikyou. I was expecting you. Make yourself at home. I take it the hanyou refused you? Or

was it...worse?" Naraku chuckled.

 

Kikyou's eyes were full of hatred; she did not bother to hide her emotions this time.

 

"I have come for what you have offered. I do not care what you will take. I will only accept what you will give me."

 

"But I must know, my dear Kikyou...whatever made you change your mind?" Naraku asked, arching his eyebrows in feigned curiosity.

 

"I think you already know." The dead miko replied icily.

 

"Do I? Remind me if you please?" Naraku tilted his head to one side, red eyes glinting with pleasure as he regarded the priestess.

 

Kikyou didn't answer, she would not give this filthy hanyou the satisfaction of hearing from her lips what he already knew to be true.

 

The expression of brief repulsion and complete shock on Inuyasha's face after he'd realised it had been her, instead of the little miko from the other world pleasuring him had been imprinted in Kikyou's mind; the image of Inuyasha's confused, disgusted face remained fresh and vivid in her dead heart. Try as she might, Kikyou could not ignore it or dismiss it, and she would not allow that look fill Inuyasha's eyes ever again when he looked at her.

 

No, Kikyou promised to herself, when Inuyasha's deep gaze lingered over her the next time they met, she would make damn sure the only emotions she'd see in them would be raw desire and blind love, and yes, a hue of dark guilt misting his golden orbs; guilt that he could never disguise when the inu hanyou looked into her empty, dead eyes.

She didn't mind his guilt, as long as it wasn't mingled with the impossibly sad flicker of pity she so despised to see in Inuyasha's eyes.

 

Naraku was still waiting patiently for her reply, but Kikyou merely glared at him, and the dark hanyou eventually gave up, not without a low, knowing chuckle, though.

 

The silence afterwards was heavy, tainted.

 

Kagura stared from Naraku to the dead miko and back again uncomfortably, not quite knowing what to expect, since Naraku had ceased to let the wind sorceress know of his intentions a long time ago.

 

Not that Kagura wanted to know. Ignorance was bliss, but the knowledge of her heart in this despicable monster's hands and the sharp awareness that there was nothing, absolutely nothing she could do about it; that she was disposable, not just to Naraku, but to the world, made Kagura want to cry out in frustration and rage.

 

She longed nothing more at that moment than to climb on her feather and fly far, far away. Kagura knew though...she would never be truly free, and the shadow of freedom she could savour when she was allowed to do so, was just that; a mere shadow, an illusion. Just like this castle, just like her existance.

 

And now Kagura had the uneasy, unshakable feeling that Naraku was expecting something of her, and she didn't like that one bit.

The wind sorceress did not want to have anything to do with the clay witch, and she knew she could not disobey Naraku's orders when and if they came.

 

As for now, Naraku was focusing his entire attention on the silent, dead miko.

 

With a snap of his long fingers, Kanna turned around to face Kikyou, and the mirror shone with a bright, white light for a second. The images reflected there were saved for the dead priestess alone.

 

Naraku's piercing, red eyes never left Kikyou's impassive face, as the miko stared with a blank expression into the rounded mirror held by the albino child.

 

Her almond shaped brown eyes narrowed to slits, her glowing blue aura flared around her, and yet Naraku was smirking.

 

Curiosity getting the best of her, Kagura peered over Kikyou's shoulder and could discern the figures of Inuyasha and his little miko. Kagome was the young girl's name; Kagura remembered it, and she was positive Naraku knew Kikyou's reincarnation's name as well, although he never referred to the human girl as such.

 

In the small mirror, Inuyasha had Kagome pinned to a tree, his hands clasping her face, the girl's small hands buried in the inu hanyou's silvery hair, their bodies pressed together, as he kissed the young miko passionately. He rocked his body slowly against hers, and she snapped her hips back against his in response, as her mouth opened to receive his kiss. His hands lowered to her hips as the kiss became hotter and deeper, and when they parted for breath, Inuyasha licked the young girl's neck wetly for the longest time, nibbling and sucking on her skin, only to return to her lips, kissing her over and over again, clinging to his miko as if his life depended on it, mouths locked, bodies heated and rubbing against each other in desperate need.

 

"Kikyou, my dear..." Naraku finally spoke as the dead miko's aura intensified and pulsed dangerously. "Do you know when this took place? But of course you don't. Let me tell you, then...this happened a few hours after you left Inuyasha in the stream. He took that copy of you away from camp and this is what happened." He sighed, as if he found this very sad indeed. "You have failed, Kikyou...your hanyou ran back to his little miko. Tell me, my dear...has he ever kissed you this way?"

 

"This is an illusion. It cannot be." She said quietly, the wild vibrations her aura gave off betraying her voice.

 

"Oh, but it is. And you know it." Naraku replied. "Ah, my poor dead miko. The little girl is less innocent than I thought, though...indeed, she is capable of feeling what you felt when you were alive..." He snapped his fingers again and the image in Kanna's mirror vanished, only to leave the looking glass, reflecting Kikyou's pale face contorted with rage and disbelief.

 

"Do you think you can - measure up to your reincarnation?" Naraku chuckled darkly. "Do you think they went - further?"

 

Kikyou laughed bitterly. "I believe, Naraku..." She spat the name. "That if they had gone further, you would not have hesitated to show me. And this..." She motioned with her hand towards the offending mirror. "Means nothing to me."

 

"Is that so?" Naraku arched his dark eyebrows. "Would you like to see it again?"

 

Kikyou was silent. "Be careful, Onigumo." She hissed at last.

 

"I thought it meant nothing to you? Such passion, such love...such desire. Isn't that what you came for? To have Inuyasha kiss you like that? To have him long for you, like he longs for her? You denied this before...can you look at me in the eye, miko, and deny it now? After he cried out her name when he climaxed in your cold, dead mouth? After seeing him kiss the breath out of your reincarnation, taste her hot, alive mouth, her warm, feverish skin?"

 

"He is mine." Kikyou said, her cold voice trembling slightly.

 

"Not yet. But he can be." Naraku smiled in mock sympathy.

 

The dark hanyou stood up slowly and approached the dead miko. Kikyou didn't look up at him but didn't move away from him either.

Naraku cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "He will be, Kikyou." He whispered darkly.

They were close enough to kiss, and yet Kikyou did not move away, could not stop her clay body from shaking, her rage and pain impossible to mask, as Naraku soaked in her dispair, smirking triumphantly down at her.

 

"You came for a body that can feel...and this I will give you, my dear." He breathed against her cold lips. Kikyou winced in repulsion but didn't answer him, her expression once again blank, her hurt and fury vanishing instantly, melting into her usual mask of indifference and coldness, her aura seemingly being sucked into her dry body as if it had never been there in the first place.

 

"And what do you want in return?" She hissed, looking up and staring fearlessly into his scrutinizing eyes.

 

Naraku did not smile, but his eyes shone brighter in the darkness, bloodred orbs glowing in satisfaction.

"Does it matter?" He asked of her in a low voice.

 

Kikyou stared at him for a long time in silence. "No. It does not. Not to me." She answered at

last.

 

_____________________

 

 

If Inuyasha dreamed that night, he couldn't remember it when he awoke at dawn. He'd only slept a few hours but he felt refreshed and his head seemed clearer.

 

Today he'd have to rebuild the village...and that night he'd have to face the New Moon. He'd have to face his human blood.

 

And Kagome was not there with him.

The emptiness he felt in his heart and soul threatened to drown him, and he shut his amber eyes and sighed deeply.

 

'It's better this way. Kagome's safe.' Inuyasha chanted these words like a mantra in his head, clinging to them like a drowning man.

 

He felt like a drowning man...drifting across the vast, cruel, empty ocean, indifferent, dark waters below, surrounded by nothing - but Inuyasha clung desperately to the image of Kagome's lovely face, held onto the sweet memories of her kisses, her fragance, her taste; finally seeing land ahead behind his eyelids, as he tried not to sink into the threatening, treacherous ocean of his mind.

 

Inuyasha opened his eyes again and jumped down from his tree, landing soundlessly on the ground.

 

"It's better this way. She's safe..." He whispered out loud, and nodded to himself, agreeing with this more than reasonable statement, at last reaching the imaginary shore, finding safety.

 

"Safe...Kagome's safe."

 

Again, Inuyasha heard Myouga's voice, remembered Shippo's conviction that he would not hurt Kagome...

 

You would never hurt your mate...

 

I don't know how I know. I just do! You would never hurt Kagome...

...Why do you think so, baka?

 

Inuyasha shook his head, as if by doing this he could shake free of these thoughts, the voices of his servant and his kitsune friend.

 

He'd wait for tonight. If no answers came to him...he'd have no choice but to seek out his bastard of a brother.

 

No. Fucking. Way.

 

Suddenly, Inuyasha caught a familiar scent, and saw Kirara in her small form, looking up at him with curious red eyes, wagging her two tails.

 

"You don't think I'd hurt the wench either, huh?" He asked the firecat youkai, who mewled gently in response. Inuyasha nearly smiled. "Well, I wish I knew what you know, cat." He said, and could have sworn the small neko youkai sighed.

 

'Yup, going crazy.' Inuyasha thought with another shake of his head as he slowly made his way to the village.

 

The hanyou knew it was still rather early, but if he wanted to get some work done he had to start now. By the afternoon, all of his senses would have dulled considerably, and the last thing he wanted was for the whole village to know tonight was the night he would be as helpless and weak as its human inhabitants.

 

'Even weaker.' Inuyasha thought with a grimace.

 

Weakened blood.

 

"Keh." Inuyasha muttered, folding his arms across his chest and lifting his head high as his feet carried him towards the village.

 

 

TBC