InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ A Hellish Reunion ( Chapter 41 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.12.2010 | Updated On: 02.06.2011 | Pages: 4 | Words: 10.8K | Visits: 3.0K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.12.2010 | Updated On: 02.06.2011 | Pages: 4 | Words: 10.8K | Visits: 3.0K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Akikoyono: Wow, thanks for the long review! I do indeed enjoy writing, some chapters more than others, as you can probably imagine. And I really am a guy, but you’re not the first person who’s assumed otherwise and then been surprised! As to female emotions, I guess I just really think everything through before I write it. If I can’t justify something to myself, then I can’t put it in the story. I love writing cliffhangers, and I’m not ashamed of it. As a matter of fact, don’t be shocked if this chapter ends with another one! *evil cackle*
A Hellish Reunion
“Where do we put this one, Noburu-sama?”
Inuyasha groggily returned to consciousness, his mind still somewhat clouded from the lingering effects of whatever had knocked him out. What the hell was that shit? Where am I? He was being held upright by two men, who gripped him by the upper arms.
“Oh, a hanyou! You don’t see too many of those around. Put him in that cage right there.”
Inuyasha came fully awake upon hearing that, the prospect of being put in a cage rousing him instantly. He had no intention of letting his captors lock him up; hell, he had no intention of having captors period. Quick as a flash he dug his feet into the dirt, flinging his arms out to strike both men squarely in the chin, sending them both tumbling to the ground. A woman’s scream sounded behind him, and he turned to investigate. Something struck him in the forehead, sending a jolt through his entire body, and then he collapsed as his muscles went limp. Wha…I can’t move! He heard an amused chuckle, and craned his eyes up to see a monk standing over him. Belatedly he realized he had been paralyzed by a sutra.
“You men are lucky I’m still quick on the draw,” he said to the two villagers still picking themselves off the ground. “Now let’s put him in his cage before he causes any more trouble.”
Grumbling, the two men complied, their handling of the helpless hanyou much rougher than before. After they dumped him on the floor, one of them reared back and kicked him hard in the stomach, then spit on him. Inuyasha let out a small grunt, glaring at the man as trace amounts of spittle ran down his cheek. The bastard was unperturbed; the human’s courage was only paper thin, but unfortunately that paper was the sutra holding Inuyasha down.
“Aw, he looks so pitiful,” the monk observed from outside the cage. “Sit him up. At least let him spend his last moments in a dignified position.”
The men did so, yanking Inuyasha upright by his hair and kicking his legs until they were more or less folded in front of him.
“Hey, look,” one of them declared, pulling Tetsusaiga out of Inuyasha’s obi. “The half-breed has a sword! It’s all rusted and marked up!” Both men proceeded to share a good laugh at the hanyou’s expense, waving the sword around like a club.
“Really?” the monk asked. “Let me see it.” The man gave it to him, and after studying it for a moment, the monk handed it back. “It’s not demonic, so let him keep it. He probably pulled it off of some dead soldier. Who would want a sword that’s been used by a half-breed anyway?”
“Not me,” said the man holding the sword, tossing it unceremoniously into Inuyasha’s lap. Then they departed, closing the cage door behind them. For once, Inuyasha was glad Tetsusaiga had rejected him; it was currently lying dormant, and the monk couldn’t sense the demonic aura. On the other hand, not having his sword would make getting out of this mess all the more difficult. He still had no idea how he was going to escape. His continuing efforts to overpower the sutra’s hold over his body were futile, and there were more sutras on the exterior of the cage. Even if he could break out, there were dozens of other youkai in much the same situation as he. He couldn’t just run away and leave them to die, even if he could get out of this cage, which was increasingly looking like an impossible task to begin with. The situation seemed grim.
By nightfall, he had more or less accepted his fate. He would not be able to complete the Shikon no Tama, but the jewel was now in Kikyou’s capable hands. And he was never going to see Kagome again anyway, so what did it matter if he survived for mere hours instead of years? Part of him recoiled at that thought, the same part that desperately wanted to go back to her. That desire grew stronger and stronger as the sun set on his life for the last time. He desperately wanted to see her again, if only for a moment, but his memories would have to do. Before meeting Kikyou, he had always believed he would die alone. He had been wrong about many things back then, but apparently this wasn’t one of them.
Suddenly the village went quiet, most of the noises of work and conversation ceasing. Inuyasha’s ears perked up as he wondered what had drawn the attention of the entire village. A faint feminine voice sounded, too soft and far away for him to make out the words. Even so, his eyes widened briefly before he squinted them shut in self-reproach. Damn, I’m so lonely that I’m imagining Kagome’s voi— And then, he could no longer tell the difference between imagination and reality. One whiff of that scent caused his whole body to shudder, even with the sealing charm. I-it can’t be. She can’t be here! But his nose didn’t lie, and with each inhale his doubts became less and less persuasive. Kagome was here. It was not her hanyou scent that captivated him, but he had known her human aroma for more than a year, and he would never forget it. The precise reason why she was human was the least of his concerns at the moment.
Indeed, the most basic question was why she was here in the first place. Why had she somehow found a way through the well without a jewel shard and somehow tracked him across hundreds of miles of wilderness? Why had she gone to all that trouble, unless… Kami, she really does need me. Kikyou was right; she needs me as much as I need her. It was an earth-shattering revelation. Inuyasha didn’t notice as the villagers resumed their activities, and their conversations drowned out the occasional sound of Kagome’s voice. He just stared unseeingly, his mind fighting against the realization that he had made a colossal mistake, as if gripped by some perverse form of self-preservation. But it was a truth he had to face, no matter how painful. He had fucked up—badly. What must Kagome have thought when she woke up and found me not there? He could only imagine the horror she felt upon waking up after losing a child, only to discover that her mate had left, never to return. Why hadn’t he considered that before? Why had he been foolish enough to believe he was protecting her?! Perhaps he had been, in the physical sense. But Kagome was far more than a physical being; she was emotion, soul, and heart. His job was to protect all the parts of her, and in this he had failed utterly. It pained him to think of the chaos his actions had wreaked on her soul, the damage done to her heart. Does she hate me now? Does she think my feelings for her have changed? Have her feelings for me changed? Does she…does she still love me?
He knew one thing; if Kagome had followed him all the way out here, she had a good reason for doing so. She would not have made such a great journey just to yell at him or tell him she hated him. Kagome wasn’t like that. It gave him hope, that their relationship wasn’t dead, that there was still a chance he could make up for his stupidity and be the mate he wanted to be. If Kagome was willing to come so far for him, then they weren’t dead, not by a long shot. They weren’t dead in either the relational or the physical sense; if anyone could get him out of this mess, it was Kagome. And now that he had a reason to want to escape, he redoubled his efforts to break the seal on his body. Still no luck, and after several exhausting minutes he gave up. He would have to rely on Kagome, the only person in the world he placed complete faith in. He wondered if she still felt the same way about him. How could she? This wasn’t the first time he had broken her heart, abused her trust, but he sincerely hoped it would be the last.
A familiar gasp brought him out of his depressing thoughts, and his eyes moved toward the sound. Amber met chocolate, and time stood still. Unable to say anything, Inuyasha tried to let his eyes reflect everything he was currently feeling. All the remorse, all the longing, all the love; he let all of it shine through. For once, he didn’t try to hide his fear, the fear of rejection, the fear that he would die without being able to tell her how sorry he was. In Kagome’s brown orbs he saw relief, traces of resentment, and heavily guarded joy. But as they stared at each other, her eyes softened and her defenses dropped. She seemed to glow with an inner light; she truly was happy to see him, and she knew he was equally elated to see her. He would have smiled at her if he possessed the capability.
Neither of them broke eye contact until the monk by her side spoke up, interrupting their moment. Inuyasha observed the mismatched pair as Kagome nearly blew her cover defending him, only to choke down her heated reply at the last instant. For the first time, he was grateful for the sutra on his forehead; it probably prevented him from revealing their relationship, as well as the fact that Kagome was not the ordinary priestess she was pretending to be. That would not have been good. Fortunately, the monk seemed to believe her, though the suspicion in his scent increased. Several other things in that scent made Inuyasha’s blood boil as he led Kagome away. Nobuno or whatever the hell his name was reeked mostly of self-confidence and satisfaction, but there were traces of attraction and even lust that had the hanyou furiously trying to send telepathic messages to his mate. Be careful around him, Kagome! I don’t know how, but you’re human, and I can’t protect you like this. Ha! That was a laughable thought. In a heartbeat his protective drive had gone from ‘push her away’ to ‘keep her close.’ All it took was her presence to change his mind completely.
Inuyasha spent the rest of the evening worrying in silence. He couldn’t make out Kagome’s words, but he could tell she was speaking to someone, an older man, in hushed tones. They must be planning a breakout tonight. He couldn’t do anything to help, but he would be damn ready when Kagome made her move.
Kagome woke with a start, shocked that she had fallen asleep. A side effect of being purified, I’m sure. Sitting up, she met the anxious eyes of a young man, probably in his early twenties.
“Ryuunosuke-san says it is time,” he whispered. Kagome nodded, and together the two of them went outside. The full moon was high in the night sky; in fact, if she had not shown up there would probably be an execution going on right about now. With any luck that would never happen. The village was dark except for a few scattered torches, kept lit by the handful of guards standing watch over the prison yard. All of them seemed unusually alert, but none questioned her presence as she passed by. Ryuunosuke-san’s men, she realized, moments before she and her young escort came to stand before the old man himself.
“Are you ready, Kagome-sama?” he asked solemnly. At her determined nod, he turned and led her down one particular row of cages. “You know the hanyou, so we should get him out first. Perhaps he can help us get the jewel shard from Noburu later.”
Kagome nodded again, grateful for his consideration. She wanted Inuyasha out of that cage so badly, and Ryuunosuke knew it. She just hoped they could avoid making too much of a scene in front of a bunch of strangers. She still didn’t know what she was going to say to him, or if she would say anything at all. There was so much that could be said, and yet, she knew that some of it didn’t really need to be spoken aloud. She had been able to tell just by looking at him how sorry he was, and how stupid and guilty he felt. It had almost been enough for her to forgive him on the spot. And with that in mind, she decided not to worry about what would happen when he was free. Even if she rehearsed something to say, she was sure she would forget it the next time she saw his striking amber eyes. Finally they reached the cage, and Kagome studied it, trying to keep her attention away from her trapped mate to avoid being distracted. There was one sutra clinging to the bars on each of the four sides, as well as one on the barred top. They probably only needed to remove one or two sutras per cage to allow the prisoner to escape.
“It may not be easy,” Ryuunosuke told her. “We can remove the sutras from the smaller cages just fine, but Noburu used really good sutras for the larger youkai, and we can’t pull them off. We were hoping you could do it with your spiritual powers.”
“I can do it,” she said quietly, clenching her fist. That sutra didn’t stand a chance. Stepping forward, she reached for the piece of paper, catching Inuyasha’s eyes along the way, and froze. His golden orbs were wide with panic, shifting to and fro, almost as if he was trying to tell her something… Kagome gasped, and spun to warn Ryuunosuke before all hell broke loose.
In an instant the entire area was awash with the light of two dozen torches and filled with the voices of twenty angry men, most wielding swords or clubs. Several of Ryuunosuke’s guards were instantly overwhelmed, and the others were already surrendering. As the men closed in on her position, Kagome leapt into action. Grabbing the sutra, she sent a blast of power into it, tearing it off the cage and flinging it behind her. The mangled slip of paper fluttered in the air for a moment before disintegrating in a flash of blue flame. Meanwhile, Kagome thrust her arm through the bars of the cage, reaching for the sutra on Inuyasha’s forehead. No good; she came up mere inches short. Wedging her shoulder inside, she strained forward as far as she could. The sutra was almost within her grasp… Then she felt strong hands on her robes, and was yanked backward and thrown to the ground.
“No! Inuyasha!” she cried out as the men descended upon her, but the hanyou could only watch as she was quickly bound, wrists together in the middle of her back, several coils of rope looped around her torso to keep her upper arms pinned at her sides. (1) Someone picked her up by the ropes, lifting her to her feet and marching her a short distance before pushing her to the ground once more. She fell into a warm body, grateful that something had broken her fall. Pulling back onto her knees, she met the frightened eyes of the young man who had woken her not ten minutes earlier. He and the rest of the conspirators were sitting together, all of them bound in the same manner as she. Kneeling stoically in the middle of the sorry gathering, looking incredibly calm despite the direness of their predicament, was Ryuunosuke. He turned to regard her somberly, an apology in his eyes. She shook him off. It wasn’t his fault they had been caught; it was probably hers. And they could still get out of this, though she had no idea how. Right about now would be the perfect time for her youkai side to come back, but the odds of that happening were slim to none. Still, she could hope. And pray for a miracle.
By now most of the village had turned out, roused by the commotion outside. They stared at the scene, conversing with each other in confusion, each wondering what was going on. Finally Noburu stepped forward and raised his hands, and slowly the villagers grew quiet.
“My friends,” he began, his tone lowered with the apparent solemnity of the occasion. If it was an act, it was a damn good one. “Tonight is a dark night. Evil has invaded our peaceful village, seeking to destroy us. These men you see tied up before you, some of them your husbands, fathers, and children, were caught trying to free the youkai we have captured. They sought to unleash the monsters as you slept! And what would have happened if they had succeeded? The youkai would surely have turned on us! The men would have had no chance to defend themselves, the women and children no opportunity to flee. We would all have been slaughtered!” Here Noburu paused, and the outraged rumbling of the villagers spiked dramatically. The prisoners ducked their heads against the handful of rocks and stones thrown their way.
“What do we do with them?” one of the village men yelled, and the crowd again quieted to hear the answer.
“That is for the village elders to decide,” Noburu replied, and a new uproar arose concerning what that decision should be.
“Damn,” Ryuunosuke swore, much to Kagome’s surprise. Seeing her staring at him, he tried to clarify. “Noburu knows his authority is limited here. I had been hoping he would overstep his bounds, and the villagers would start to distrust him, but he is too smart for that. He doesn’t care what happens to us, so he’s going to let the village decide. He still gets to have his execution, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Kagome frowned, seeing the older man’s point. Noburu was as crafty as any politician from her time, and he was moving the masses like an expert puppet master.
“However!” the manipulative monk called out, waiting until the villagers settled down before continuing. “I would advise leniency.” This surprised everyone, captives included. Perplexed murmuring rumbled until Noburu raised his hands again. “These men are your friends and family,” he explained, “and aside from giving us all a scare, they did no harm. I believe they will soon see the error of their ways and repent their actions. And I also believe that those actions were not entirely their own. They were led astray by an outsider, a snake in the grass, a visitor who took advantage of our hospitality and then betrayed us. I speak, of course, of the miko Kagome!”
At once Kagome felt every eye in the village upon her. The loudest uproar yet rolled through the village, much of it displeased. Kagome found a small hope in that reaction; this was a time where people with spiritual power were accorded a great deal of respect. It would not be easy for Noburu to convince them that she was in fact a traitor. Several shouts went up, demanding proof, and Noburu responded immediately.
“I will present my proof later, my friends. Now, let me finish presenting my allegations.”
Kagome suddenly got the distinct impression that she was on trial. Where’s a lawyer when you need one? She didn’t dare speak out for herself yet, not with Noburu’s stranglehold on the gathering. She would bide her time and wait for a better time to defend herself. A fat lot of good a lawyer would do her now, anyway. This was feudal era justice; there were no appeals to higher courts, no technicalities, loopholes, or human rights to protect her. There was only evidence, judgment, and punishment.
“No longer should you treat Kagome as a pure miko, my friends,” Noburu continued. “She does not deserve your respect, nor the honorific at the end of her name. She is a dark miko!”
The crowd roared once more, and this time Noburu let it go. Eventually they quieted down on their own, several older men stepping forward and demanding to hear what she had to say.
“Well you heard them, Kagome,” the monk observed, “do you deny the charges?”
“Yes, I do,” she replied firmly. “I am not a dark miko.”
“I see. Well we all know that dark miko consort with youkai, do we not?” Noburu declared, motioning to the villagers. “And you were caught trying to free a group of youkai from a well-deserved death. Is that not consorting with youkai? Furthermore, as you were dragged away from the hanyou’s cage, you yelled something to him. You screamed, ‘No! Inuyasha!’ What does that mean? I can only conclude that ‘Inuyasha’ is the hanyou’s name. A fitting moniker, is it not, my friends?” he asked the crowd, which rumbled in agreement. “And if you knew the hanyou’s name, then you must have a pre-existing relationship with him! Do you deny it?”
Kagome grimaced; she knew she was stuck. If she denied knowing Inuyasha, Noburu would call her a liar, and the evidence was on his side. More than twenty people heard her desperate cry, and she cursed her impulsiveness. Calling Inuyasha’s name had never gotten her in so much trouble before. There was nothing for it; she had to tell the truth and hopefully explain herself afterwards. It was probably better than being condemned a liar; at least by coming clean she preserved some credibility. Saving her own skin didn’t matter. If she didn’t convince these people that what they were doing was wrong, then Inuyasha was going to die, and she couldn’t imagine living if that happened. As for said hanyou, sitting there watching Kagome be denounced like this was almost too much to bear. It was nearly as bad as hearing and smelling the approach of Noburu’s men, and being unable to warn her. Deny it, Kagome! Save yourself! Tell them you don’t know me!
“No, I do not,” she answered. Inuyasha cursed inwardly. Damn stubborn wench! If you die because of me I’ll never forgive myself!
“There, you see?!” Noburu shouted. “She’s a dark miko!”
“No I’m not!” Kagome retorted. “Associating with youkai does not make a miko evil!”
“Hmmm…” Noburu considered, rubbing his chin for a moment. “I suppose you’re right. It wouldn’t be so bad if a miko kept a small one as a pet. Or a weak one as a slave. But I find it hard to believe that this vicious creature can be tamed!”
“Inuyasha is not vicious, and he’s not a pet or a slave, you loathsome bigot! He is my friend, a loyal and loving companion. He’s far more honorable than most of the humans I’ve met in this ti—here!” Kagome shrieked, unwittingly hurting her cause. Many of the villagers had been nodding their heads with Noburu’s statements, and they didn’t appreciate her insult or her implication.
Noburu barked out a laugh. “A companion, you say? But this hanyou is far more than a companion to you, isn’t he?”
Suddenly the village went deathly silent, everyone realizing the seriousness of the insinuation. For many of them, it was the most odious allegation they had ever heard, and they had trouble believing it could be true. Noburu was only too happy to convince them otherwise.
“I had heard rumors of a hanyou and a miko traveling together to collect the scattered pieces of the Shikon no Tama, but I dismissed them as fantasy. What miko in her right mind would trust a hanyou with something as powerful as the jewel? And what self-respecting miko would associate with a half-breed in the first place? Then I stumbled upon a fragment of the jewel in this village. It has only been here for a short while, and isn’t it an interesting coincidence that both a hanyou and a miko have shown up already? Furthermore, earlier this evening Kagome sensed my jewel shard and asked me about it. Only a few people in the world have that ability! She tried to hide it, but she was very interested. My friends, Kagome is the miko from the rumors, and that half-breed over there is the hanyou!”
The villagers mumbled to each other, some already swayed by the strong argument, probably because it was all true.
“And that isn’t even the worst part, my friends. Those of you with weak constitutions may wish to cover your ears. I have also heard people say that the hanyou and miko seeking the jewel were far closer than two such people should be. He carried her on his back, touched her in a casual manner, and was far less respectful than a lowly youkai should be. People from other villages have seen this and been outraged! But even that is not the extent of the debauchery. I had my suspicions beforehand, but when I heard Kagome’s frantic scream, I knew the truth. She and the hanyou are involved in a most unholy relationship, condemned by the Kami and all that is good and decent in the world. They are fornicating with each other!”
A few villagers cried out in protest, but most were stunned into silence. They turned toward the miko, awaiting her reply.
“Well, Kagome,” Noburu asked, “do you deny it?” And he smirked.
Kagome felt her blood boil; the bastard had the audacity to taunt her like that. He had put it all together, and was sure he was correct. He was also confident that she would not deny it, and if she did he would be able to convince the village she was lying. So she had to ask herself the question: could she really tell all these people that she and Inuyasha weren’t involved? Could she deny their love? Would the words even pass her lips or would she choke on them? Or should she simply tell the truth and deal with the consequences? As for Inuyasha, he could see the oncoming catastrophe. Dammit, Kagome, you have to deny it this time! If you tell them we’re together, it’s all over for the both of us! Don’t worry about me. Save yourself, you crazy bitch!
“Yes, I do,” she answered. Inuyasha started to relax, but then… “Inuyasha and I are not ‘fornicating.’ We are fully mated under youkai custom.”
“Ugh!” Noburu cried out over the roar of the mob. He staggered backward and clutched at his chest, as if her confession wounded him deeply. “For a human woman to defile herself so…in all my days I have never been so disgusted!” The village rose as one in agreement, condemnations flying rapid-fire now.
“Dark miko!”
“Dirty slut!”
“Youkai whore!”
Their words stung, but worse were the reactions of her co-conspirators, all of whom edged away from her and stared back in revulsion. Even the young lad who had broken her fall was among them. Only Ryuunosuke remained stoic, still kneeling in a meditative posture with his eyes closed.
“Y-yeah!” one of the tied-up youths chimed in, obviously seeing her as an available scapegoat. “I didn’t really want to free the youkai. She tricked me!” The rest of the prisoners followed his lead, and soon they were released and greeted warmly by their families. The only two captives remaining were her and Ryuunosuke.
“Well, Ryuunosuke,” Noburu inquired with a sneer, “did Kagome trick you as well?”
Finally the old man raised his head, meeting the monk’s gaze with regal defiance blazing in his eyes. “How could she have, since releasing the youkai was my idea?”
Gasps and sounds of disbelief resonated throughout the clearing, but no one spoke up against Ryuunosuke. He apparently was still too well-respected in the village to be condemned so quickly.
“I have never known this village to be so bigoted,” he continued. “Who are you to judge Kagome-sama? What gives you the right to decide whether her choice of a partner is right or wrong? I’m not saying you have to like it or agree with it, but it is none of your business! If any of you were in her position, with a loved one about to be executed, you would have done the same thing. Do you remember the days when we lived in peace, side by side with the youkai of the forest without incident? I long for a return to those times, before we started rounding up every youkai we could find. We have all been led astray by this slick-tongued outsider. It is time to take back our lives, and return our humble village to the way it used to be!”
No one spoke for a long moment after he finished, each person weighing the elder’s words carefully.
“A fine speech, very eloquent,” Noburu declared out of the blue. “You almost had even me convinced! But you forgot one thing, Ryuunosuke. You say this is all my fault, but did I bring a jewel shard into this village? Did I make the youkai attack? Did I make them brutally slaughter several of your family and friends?!” He paused, grinning as several villagers jumped in and answered his questions with cries of “No, you saved us!”
“That’s right,” he replied self-righteously. “Everything we have done was undertaken with the sole goal of protecting this village. I too long to see all of you return to the peaceful lives you once lived. But it cannot happen without sacrifice! There will always be a danger, until every youkai in the area is exterminated. That is the price of your safety, the cost of your peace, and I know that for the sake of the people you hold dear, you will do what is necessary!”
Ryuunosuke hung his head and Kagome shook hers in disgust as the mob once more clamored in favor of their charismatic de facto leader. Ryuunosuke had appealed to their logic and reason, while Noburu preyed on fear and emotion. It was no surprise that the young demagogue had won.
“As for Kagome, you said that we have no right to judge her. Well, I say we do! When something is so repugnant to the laws of nature, we humans need to rise up against it. The natural order must be preserved. We will not allow a miko, who is supposed to be among the purest of humans, to debase herself by carrying on with such filth!”
The crowd roared as one, like spectators at a political rally, and several of the more extreme participants began to shout their views on what should be done with her.
“Kill her!”
“Send her to the execution platform! Let her die a youkai’s death!”
“People, people!” Noburu chided, calming the frenzy. “Let us not be too hasty. Perhaps things are not as they appear. It is possible that Kagome is being controlled by a youkai, perhaps that hanyou over there! Allow me to take her into my chambers and examine her. If she is being bewitched, I believe I can save her.”
The mob cheered, lauding their leader’s kind heart. Kagome had been surprised and slightly grateful when Noburu intervened on her behalf, but now a cold knot of fear settled in her belly. She would rather be at the mercy of the mob than find herself alone with this man, especially considering the chilling vibe she had received from him earlier in the evening. But she didn’t have any say in the manner; strong hands grabbed her ropes and dragged her roughly to her feet, pushing her on Noburu’s heels toward the village inn. One of the larger rooms had been taken over as the monk’s living quarters, and she was ushered inside. As the men turned to depart, Noburu quietly told them not to let anyone else in no matter what they heard. “For the safety of the village,” he said. When the shoji door slid shut behind them, Noburu stood there facing away from her, head down. Then a dark chuckle reached her ears, sending a chill down her spine. When he turned to her, a lascivious grin marring his features, there was no doubt as to his intentions. Kagome stumbled backward a few steps, her heartbeat thundering in her chest.
“S-stay away from me!” she ordered. Noburu ceased his laughter, and his grin took on a sinister edge.
“What’s the matter, my dear? You’ll fuck a half-breed, but I’m not good enough for you? We’ll see about that.”
He advanced, and Kagome retreated until finally her back touched wall and she could go no further. In her entire life, she had never felt so helpless. If only her hands were free, then she could fight this bastard literally tooth and nail. She snarled to herself, vowing to do everything she could despite the hopelessness of her situation. As soon as he was in range she aimed a powerful kick at his groin, but Noburu was expecting such a move. He shifted and took the blow off the outer thigh, then flung his leg out wide, throwing her off balance. The only reason she didn’t topple to the floor was because Noburu pinned her against the wall. His hand clamped around her neck, applying more than a little pressure. His face was mere inches from hers, his hot breath making her nauseous.
“Now that wasn’t very nice,” he taunted, amused by her feeble resistance. She spat in his face, the saliva getting in one of his eyes and splattering over his cheeks. He blinked several times, all traces of amusement vanishing from his countenance.
“You’ll pay for that, bitch!” he yelled, throwing her to the side. She landed hard on her shoulder with a yelp, but the bruise that would form there was the least of her worries. In the next instant he was on top of her, straddling her thighs and holding them in place. He loomed over her, seeking contact with her lips which she struggled to deny. Her thrashing proved effective until he finally reared back and punched her in the gut, knocking the wind from her. The world seemed to slow down for Kagome in that moment, as if her mind was clinging to this last iota of time where her body was her own. And even with what was about to happen to her, she couldn’t help but think of the man she loved, sitting outside paralyzed, being forced with his acute hearing to listen to everything going on inside this room. She didn’t know which of them would be hurt worse by this. Inuyasha, I’m sorry.
A familiar presence appeared in her mind, sending jolts of electricity through her body, and suddenly the weight atop her was gone. She opened her eyes just in time to see the last fading vestiges of a crimson aura emanating from her body. A groan drew her attention to her attacker, who was just now picking himself off the floor a good six feet away. Seeing her chance, Kagome climbed to her feet and bolted for the exit, lowering her shoulder and busting right through the shoji door. Her momentum ruined her balance and she wound up lying on the floor surrounded by pieces of splintered wood.
“Hey!” one of the guards cried, but she was up and running again before they could react. After weaving through a few hallways, she burst out into the night. “Get her!” someone called from behind her, and she didn’t dare stop running as she tried to reason with them.
“No, help me! He’s trying to r—ugh!” she groaned as someone tackled her from the side, bearing her to the ground. Her head thwacked against something hard, and she saw stars. She teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, not truly aware of the world around her. Inuyasha…that was Inuyasha’s aura…he saved me somehow. But how? How is that possible?
Nearby, Inuyasha was asking himself the same question. He couldn’t even describe how he felt when he realized what that bastard Noburu intended to do. It would be a useless effort to even try; no words were strong enough to encompass all of his anger and pain. He would have given anything to be able to save her. He remembered his aura flaring, as he subconsciously reached out to her in the only way he was capable. Then suddenly he felt her, as if she was right by his side, and his youki wrapped itself around her. No, it wasn’t like that. It was more like she took his youki within her body and used it to defend herself. One thing was rapidly becoming clear to Inuyasha—their connection was far stronger than either of them had realized. It suddenly dawned on him that this wasn’t the first time that fact had been demonstrated to him. All those times I thought I felt her presence, just for a moment, and I thought I was imagining things…it really was her! When I almost lost my mind after killing that beetle, she really did save me! That’s how she’s been following me this whole time, by tracking my aura through our connection! He had heard it said before that mates became part of each other, and apparently that wasn’t just a figure of speech in some cases.
“Noburu-sama, are you alright?!” a woman’s voice rang out, drawing a snarl from Inuyasha. That dirtbag walked gingerly out of the inn, and immediately half the village gathered around him in concern. The only attention Kagome got was one of the men prodding her none-too-gently with his toe. Kagome dimly felt the touch and accompanying motion, but most of her mind remained detached by the blow to the head. She had unknowingly come to the same conclusion as her mate regarding their connection, and she thought she had a way to use it to help him. If I can use his youki, then maybe…
“Yes, I’m fine,” Noburu soothed. “She took me by surprise! But I still believe I can save her,” he declared, shooting a malicious grin Inuyasha’s way. He did a quick double-take, his mouth falling open in shock. “What the—”
A tremendous blast of power cut him off, pure pink energy exploding from Inuyasha’s cage. When the light faded, the hanyou could be seen standing with a fierce expression on his features, the charred remains of his forehead sutra crushed in his right hand. Noburu watched in horror and amazement as the hanyou raised his hand, flexing his claws before flinging his arm out and smashing the bars at the front of the cage to pieces. The monk cursed the fact that he had neglected to replace the sutra Kagome had destroyed, not that it appeared it would have made much of a difference. How is this possible! Screams from the villagers signaled that the hanyou was on the move, and Noburu dropped into a fighting stance. But Inuyasha ignored him, leaping over the crowd to land beside Kagome. He scooped her up in his arms and took off, and for a moment Noburu thought he meant to flee. Given what he had just witnessed, he wasn’t sure if his barrier surrounding the village would hold. Instead, the hanyou gently set the miko down on the edge of the village.
“Kagome,” he whispered, tenderly brushing the hair out of her face. She stirred and her eyes cracked open slightly.
“Inu…yasha,” she replied weakly.
“Shhh, rest K-Kagome,” he ordered, choking on the word. It had been far too long since he’d spoken her beautiful name aloud. Finally she was back by his side where she belonged, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. As much as he wanted to just take Kagome and get the hell out of here, there were still many innocent youkai trapped in cages. And Noburu had to pay for what he almost did. There would be no mercy for him. Setting his face in a hard expression, Inuyasha stood and turned to face his adversary. He was met with the wide, frightened eyes of dozens of villagers, and the cool, steely eyes of one man. He smirked, allowing a fang to poke past his lip.
“Listen up, humans! I don’t intend to kill most of you. The only one who has to die is that bastard!” he hollered, pointing a finger at Noburu, the digit shaking with rage. “I’ll never forgive him for what he tried to do! But I swear, if any of you go near Kagome I’ll tear your fucking throats out!”
It was no idle threat, and the cowering humans did not take it as such. Inuyasha rejoiced in the heightened scent of fear, if only because it meant Kagome would be left alone while he was in battle.
“Do not worry, my friends,” Noburu said confidently. “Please stay back and allow me to handle this. I will take care of the hanyou and then I will deal with our wayward priestess.”
“Over my dead body!” Inuyasha retorted.
“That’s the idea. Only when I’m through with you, there won’t be anything but dust left.”
Snarling, Inuyasha charged his foe as the villagers retreated in panic. He leapt into the air, preparing to slice the monk in half with his claws when he came down. Noburu stood calmly until the last moment, then swiftly raised his staff. The clang of claws on metal sounded as Inuyasha tried unsuccessfully to sever the weapon in two, and then the hanyou was forced to duck as that same weapon whizzed over his head. He swiped diagonally upward with his right hand, but Noburu dodged again. The monk then parried a wild left and blocked another right, causing Inuyasha to growl in frustration. He was very light on his feet, this bouzu. It reminded him of his fight with Miroku, though he had never hated the good-natured, if lecherous houshi. He despised Noburu with all the blackness of his soul, and he would slaughter him even if it cost him his own life. Extermination was the only way to deal with a fanatic like him.
But it wasn’t going to be easy. Noburu was constantly in control as he fought, and Inuyasha felt his patience fading. Still he held himself in check; he had lost his composure in the past, and it usually ended with more damage done to him than the enemy. He continued to look for a hole in his adversary’s defenses. Deciding to try something new, he faked right and then came back with a left intended to bury itself into Noburu’s side. The monk reacted instantly, expertly sidestepping the attack and swinging his staff down toward the back of Inuyasha’s head. The hanyou rolled away so the strike only grazed his shoulder, but it still dazed him with the burst of spiritual power Noburu put into the blow. It took him an extra second to regain his footing and turn to face his enemy, and when he did there wasn’t enough time to dodge the sutra already on its way.
It struck him squarely in the chest, jolting him as before, but instead of his muscles going limp, he felt Kagome’s power well within him once more. A storm of lightning repulsed the sutra and sent it fluttering, until flame caught and reduced it to ashes that scattered on the winds. Inuyasha glanced over to his mate, not surprised to see her watching him through bleary, slightly unfocused eyes. He flashed her a grateful smile before turning his attention back to the battle at hand.
“How are you doing that?” Noburu demanded with a scowl. “It must be some sort of black magic!”
Inuyasha didn’t bother responding to that, knowing it would be futile to explain. This man saw human and youkai as fundamentally incompatible, and anything that revealed otherwise was ‘black magic.’ It didn’t matter; that close-mindedness would victimize no one else after this day. But since they were talking, Inuyasha had a question he wanted answered, more out of curiosity than anything else.
“Why that fuck did you do all this? Why do you want to wipe out all youkai?”
“Youkai are abominations, things with no value whatsoever to me. They must be destroyed if the human race is ever to be truly safe.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! I’ve seen humans who are much more vicious and dangerous than most youkai,” he retorted, thinking of the Band of Seven in particular. “And what gives you the right to condemn all youkai to death? You’re a mere mortal like the rest of us!”
“I’d say watching my family and then all the monks at my shrine get massacred by youkai gives me that right.”
If Noburu expected Inuyasha to be stunned by the revelation, he was sorely disappointed.
“Then what you’re doing now is even more ridiculous!”
“What?” Noburu growled lowly, glowering at the hanyou.
“If your friends and family were killed by bandits, would you go out and exterminate all humans?”
“You…you…”
“WhatR 17;s the matter? Did I strike a nerve?”
“Silence, half-breed! I will not stand for your insolence!”
“Then let’s finish this!” Inuyasha shouted, and was just about to dart forward to resume the fight when he felt a pulse by his side. And another. The third pulse brought a grin to his face, and he reached down and grasped Tetsusaiga’s hilt, feeling the sword’s power flow through him. It was like reconnecting with a long lost friend. Slowly he drew the rusty blade and held it before him for a moment, then transformed it in a rush of youkai energy, watching Noburu’s widening eyes the whole time.
“Wh—how?! There was no youkai aura on that blade before!”
“Tetsusaiga and I weren’t on speaking terms before, but apparently my sword has forgiven me.” Thank you, Tetsusaiga. “Prepare yourself, Noburu!”
With that, he took off running, raising his sword above his head. Youki swirled around the blade, and when he brought the sword down he did so with all his strength. Noburu raised his staff, the weapon glowing with his spiritual power, and the collision of the two forces was both violent and dreadful. Inuyasha was forced to look away until the energy from Tetsusaiga’s attack waned, and all that remained were the sounds of metal rubbing on metal. His eyes grew wide as saucers; Noburu was completely unharmed. Tetsusaiga had bitten a few millimeters deep into his staff, but other than that the attack had been totally ineffective. And the monk gave him little time to recover from his shock, pushing up with his staff and then aiming a powerful swing at Inuyasha’s exposed side. The hanyou blocked, but the burst of spiritual power from the staff sent him flying through the wall of a nearby hut.
He picked himself out of the debris, fully intent on finding out whether Noburu’s survival was a fluke or if he really was that strong. Unfortunately it was the latter, because all of Inuyasha’s attacks ended in much the same manner as the first. In a few minutes he was breathing hard, glaring across the silent battlefield at his enemy. Noburu also appeared fatigued, but he clearly had the advantage. His spiritual power was too much for Tetsusaiga’s youki, at least in its simple form. Inuyasha needed to use the Kongousouha or Kaze no Kizu, but the problem was that the villagers surrounded them in a wide near-circle. He was sure there would be some casualties if he used one of Tetsusaiga’s more powerful attacks. And as much as he told himself he didn’t care whether a few humans died, he knew it wasn’t true. He had to live with himself afterwards, and unless they were directly threatening Kagome, he had enough human blood on his hands. That still left unanswered the question of how exactly to defeat Noburu. Shit, I can’t win like this! I can feel Tetsusaiga’s pain. Pretty soon it will crack! What do I do?
Right on cue, he felt Kagome’s miko powers rise within him once again, but this time he ignored them. They wouldn’t do him any good now; if he couldn’t beat Noburu with Tetsusaiga, then he didn’t stand a chance hand-to-hand. Suddenly Tetsusaiga throbbed, and the miko energy gave an answering pulse. Again it happened, the two resonating with each other, almost as if… Tetsusaiga, do you want me to use Kagome’s power too? He couldn’t believe it, but he knew his sword well enough to be able to grasp what it wanted. He had always regarded Tetsusaiga as an extension of his body, but this would only work if that were true. There was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, he summoned Kagome’s strength, watching as a pink glow came to emanate from his body, mixing with the deep red of his own aura. Then the most surprising thing of all happened; the pink energy seeped from his arm onto Tetsusaiga, mixing harmoniously with the sword’s youki. He almost couldn’t take his eyes off the sight, so amazed was he at the open display of his connection to his mate. They had defeated many foes by combining their strength, and he supposed this was simply taking it to the next level. Within himself, Kagome, and now Tetsusaiga, the normally opposing forces of youkai and miko found complete harmony. And with the discoveries of this night, he knew there would never again be an adversary they couldn’t beat, together.
Without further ado he rushed across the clearing, the flowing auras on Tetsusaiga intensifying as he neared his enemy. They came together as before, Noburu blocking the swing with his staff. Kagome’s energy poured forth from the blade, crashing against the staff in waves, weaving together with Tetsusaiga’s youki as the two multiplied each other. He felt the monk’s arms buckle and heard a metallic crack before the weapons exploded in a blinding flash. Noburu’s terrified shriek died instantly as Tetsusaiga embedded itself in the ground. When the rampant energies subsided and the dust settled, there was nothing left of the monk except his staff, broken in two heavily charred pieces. As Inuyasha bent to pick them up, one more thing caught his eye—the bright pink shard of the Shikon no Tama, which he slipped into his robes. Finally, he slid Tetsusaiga into its sheath and heaved a sigh of relief. It was over.
Turning to Kagome, he growled. Some human was kneeling right next to her! I fucking told them to stay away from her—wait… That was the old man who had argued on their behalf, Ryuunosuke if he remembered correctly. He was probably the one human in this cursed village they could trust. It was clear from her expression that Kagome already did, and he wasn’t about to question her judgment. He started walking over to them, and Ryuunosuke stood to meet him.
“Thank you, Inuyasha-sama,” he said, bowing deeply.
“F-feh!” he replied uncomfortably, not expecting such reverence. “Bury these,” he ordered, handing over the pieces of the staff.
“Yes, I will. I’m afraid I must ask both of you one more favor,” the old man stated. “Will you help us free the youkai?”
They both nodded at once, and Inuyasha helped Kagome stand. “You alright?” he asked, genuinely concerned.
“I’m fine,” she answered. “Just a little dizzy.” Her head throbbed pretty good too, but he didn’t need to know that. She would be fine once her youkai side returned. Then the golf ball sized lump on her head would vanish faster. She realized, and Inuyasha probably did too, that they really needed to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk. But that would have to wait until they were alone. It would be best to finish up here as quickly as possible anyway, lest they overstay their already hostile welcome.
Releasing the youkai was far easier than either of them had anticipated. None of the villagers had spoken a word since Noburu’s demise, and they parted readily to let them through. The village reeked of fear, and they were all probably wondering when the vicious hanyou would turn on them. That was just fine with Inuyasha, even if his goal had switched to protecting them from any newly-liberated youkai that decided on a human midnight snack. Such concern proved unnecessary, however; none of the youkai made so much as a move to devour anyone. They had all seen or sensed the power he had just wielded, and none of them, even the primitive ones, were stupid enough to do something that would result in said power being turned on them. So the serpent-like youkai took to slithering overhead, waiting for the outer barrier to be taken down so they could return to their forest home. On the ground, families were reunited, children and parents clinging to each other for dear life, tears flowing freely. Kagome had to dry her eyes several times as well, as did many of the villagers. It was a truly touching spectacle, and she sensed the remorse in the air even without her hanyou sense of smell.
After all the cages had been opened, Kagome led the way to the outer barrier. Using the fact that she was human to her advantage, she took down one link of the chain, allowing the youkai to file through. After a brief farewell to Ryuunosuke, she retied the rope from the outside, assuring that the village would be protected from further youkai attacks, at least for the near future. The barrier wouldn’t hold forever, but it would shield them long enough for any lingering grudges held by youkai to die down. She and Inuyasha turned to each other and shared a look of overwhelming relief. At long last, they were ready to go home.
They walked slowly through the trees, purposefully avoiding the path and the tripwires which guarded it. Ryuunosuke had agreed to take them down in the morning, but that didn’t help them right now. He had offered to let them stay the night, and it would have made sense to accept that offer, but neither of them felt like spending an extra second in that village. Progress was slow since Kagome couldn’t see very well and Inuyasha didn’t dare ask if she wanted a ride. They really needed to talk, but even more than that they needed to sleep. He decided to focus his attention on finding a suitable place to settle down for what remained of the night, while Kagome worried about not tripping over a tree root or walking into a low-hanging branch. But she allowed her mind to wander a little bit, and thought of something she had forgotten about.
“I’d better hang onto the jewel,” she said, holding out her hand. Inuyasha placed Noburu’s small shard in her palm, glad to have his ‘shard detector’ back. His amused grin fell when she kept her hand out and gazed at him expectantly. “Well? Where’s the piece you and I collected?”
Inuyasha’s mind went blank, pure panic frying his nerves. His face reflected horror and guilt as he stared at the ground, and Kagome’s eyes widened as she studied him by moonlight.
“Inuyasha, where is the jewel?” she asked again, praying she was wrong. In the past, he had only looked like that when she was involved. He didn’t…he wouldn’t! No answer.
“Inuyasha!” she screamed, grabbing him by the robes and shaking him. “Where is the jewel?!”
“Kikyou has it,” he finally confessed, closing his eyes in resignation.
Kagome stepped back and released him, and for a moment she just stood there, physically incapable of doing anything at all. Then, without a word, she turned and stalked into the trees.
(1) This is the same way Kagome, Miroku, and Sango were tied up before Naraku’s baby tried to find the darkness in her heart. The “standard” feudal era method, I guess.
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Akikoyono: Wow, thanks for the long review! I do indeed enjoy writing, some chapters more than others, as you can probably imagine. And I really am a guy, but you’re not the first person who’s assumed otherwise and then been surprised! As to female emotions, I guess I just really think everything through before I write it. If I can’t justify something to myself, then I can’t put it in the story. I love writing cliffhangers, and I’m not ashamed of it. As a matter of fact, don’t be shocked if this chapter ends with another one! *evil cackle*
A Hellish Reunion
“Where do we put this one, Noburu-sama?”
Inuyasha groggily returned to consciousness, his mind still somewhat clouded from the lingering effects of whatever had knocked him out. What the hell was that shit? Where am I? He was being held upright by two men, who gripped him by the upper arms.
“Oh, a hanyou! You don’t see too many of those around. Put him in that cage right there.”
Inuyasha came fully awake upon hearing that, the prospect of being put in a cage rousing him instantly. He had no intention of letting his captors lock him up; hell, he had no intention of having captors period. Quick as a flash he dug his feet into the dirt, flinging his arms out to strike both men squarely in the chin, sending them both tumbling to the ground. A woman’s scream sounded behind him, and he turned to investigate. Something struck him in the forehead, sending a jolt through his entire body, and then he collapsed as his muscles went limp. Wha…I can’t move! He heard an amused chuckle, and craned his eyes up to see a monk standing over him. Belatedly he realized he had been paralyzed by a sutra.
“You men are lucky I’m still quick on the draw,” he said to the two villagers still picking themselves off the ground. “Now let’s put him in his cage before he causes any more trouble.”
Grumbling, the two men complied, their handling of the helpless hanyou much rougher than before. After they dumped him on the floor, one of them reared back and kicked him hard in the stomach, then spit on him. Inuyasha let out a small grunt, glaring at the man as trace amounts of spittle ran down his cheek. The bastard was unperturbed; the human’s courage was only paper thin, but unfortunately that paper was the sutra holding Inuyasha down.
“Aw, he looks so pitiful,” the monk observed from outside the cage. “Sit him up. At least let him spend his last moments in a dignified position.”
The men did so, yanking Inuyasha upright by his hair and kicking his legs until they were more or less folded in front of him.
“Hey, look,” one of them declared, pulling Tetsusaiga out of Inuyasha’s obi. “The half-breed has a sword! It’s all rusted and marked up!” Both men proceeded to share a good laugh at the hanyou’s expense, waving the sword around like a club.
“Really?” the monk asked. “Let me see it.” The man gave it to him, and after studying it for a moment, the monk handed it back. “It’s not demonic, so let him keep it. He probably pulled it off of some dead soldier. Who would want a sword that’s been used by a half-breed anyway?”
“Not me,” said the man holding the sword, tossing it unceremoniously into Inuyasha’s lap. Then they departed, closing the cage door behind them. For once, Inuyasha was glad Tetsusaiga had rejected him; it was currently lying dormant, and the monk couldn’t sense the demonic aura. On the other hand, not having his sword would make getting out of this mess all the more difficult. He still had no idea how he was going to escape. His continuing efforts to overpower the sutra’s hold over his body were futile, and there were more sutras on the exterior of the cage. Even if he could break out, there were dozens of other youkai in much the same situation as he. He couldn’t just run away and leave them to die, even if he could get out of this cage, which was increasingly looking like an impossible task to begin with. The situation seemed grim.
By nightfall, he had more or less accepted his fate. He would not be able to complete the Shikon no Tama, but the jewel was now in Kikyou’s capable hands. And he was never going to see Kagome again anyway, so what did it matter if he survived for mere hours instead of years? Part of him recoiled at that thought, the same part that desperately wanted to go back to her. That desire grew stronger and stronger as the sun set on his life for the last time. He desperately wanted to see her again, if only for a moment, but his memories would have to do. Before meeting Kikyou, he had always believed he would die alone. He had been wrong about many things back then, but apparently this wasn’t one of them.
Suddenly the village went quiet, most of the noises of work and conversation ceasing. Inuyasha’s ears perked up as he wondered what had drawn the attention of the entire village. A faint feminine voice sounded, too soft and far away for him to make out the words. Even so, his eyes widened briefly before he squinted them shut in self-reproach. Damn, I’m so lonely that I’m imagining Kagome’s voi— And then, he could no longer tell the difference between imagination and reality. One whiff of that scent caused his whole body to shudder, even with the sealing charm. I-it can’t be. She can’t be here! But his nose didn’t lie, and with each inhale his doubts became less and less persuasive. Kagome was here. It was not her hanyou scent that captivated him, but he had known her human aroma for more than a year, and he would never forget it. The precise reason why she was human was the least of his concerns at the moment.
Indeed, the most basic question was why she was here in the first place. Why had she somehow found a way through the well without a jewel shard and somehow tracked him across hundreds of miles of wilderness? Why had she gone to all that trouble, unless… Kami, she really does need me. Kikyou was right; she needs me as much as I need her. It was an earth-shattering revelation. Inuyasha didn’t notice as the villagers resumed their activities, and their conversations drowned out the occasional sound of Kagome’s voice. He just stared unseeingly, his mind fighting against the realization that he had made a colossal mistake, as if gripped by some perverse form of self-preservation. But it was a truth he had to face, no matter how painful. He had fucked up—badly. What must Kagome have thought when she woke up and found me not there? He could only imagine the horror she felt upon waking up after losing a child, only to discover that her mate had left, never to return. Why hadn’t he considered that before? Why had he been foolish enough to believe he was protecting her?! Perhaps he had been, in the physical sense. But Kagome was far more than a physical being; she was emotion, soul, and heart. His job was to protect all the parts of her, and in this he had failed utterly. It pained him to think of the chaos his actions had wreaked on her soul, the damage done to her heart. Does she hate me now? Does she think my feelings for her have changed? Have her feelings for me changed? Does she…does she still love me?
He knew one thing; if Kagome had followed him all the way out here, she had a good reason for doing so. She would not have made such a great journey just to yell at him or tell him she hated him. Kagome wasn’t like that. It gave him hope, that their relationship wasn’t dead, that there was still a chance he could make up for his stupidity and be the mate he wanted to be. If Kagome was willing to come so far for him, then they weren’t dead, not by a long shot. They weren’t dead in either the relational or the physical sense; if anyone could get him out of this mess, it was Kagome. And now that he had a reason to want to escape, he redoubled his efforts to break the seal on his body. Still no luck, and after several exhausting minutes he gave up. He would have to rely on Kagome, the only person in the world he placed complete faith in. He wondered if she still felt the same way about him. How could she? This wasn’t the first time he had broken her heart, abused her trust, but he sincerely hoped it would be the last.
A familiar gasp brought him out of his depressing thoughts, and his eyes moved toward the sound. Amber met chocolate, and time stood still. Unable to say anything, Inuyasha tried to let his eyes reflect everything he was currently feeling. All the remorse, all the longing, all the love; he let all of it shine through. For once, he didn’t try to hide his fear, the fear of rejection, the fear that he would die without being able to tell her how sorry he was. In Kagome’s brown orbs he saw relief, traces of resentment, and heavily guarded joy. But as they stared at each other, her eyes softened and her defenses dropped. She seemed to glow with an inner light; she truly was happy to see him, and she knew he was equally elated to see her. He would have smiled at her if he possessed the capability.
Neither of them broke eye contact until the monk by her side spoke up, interrupting their moment. Inuyasha observed the mismatched pair as Kagome nearly blew her cover defending him, only to choke down her heated reply at the last instant. For the first time, he was grateful for the sutra on his forehead; it probably prevented him from revealing their relationship, as well as the fact that Kagome was not the ordinary priestess she was pretending to be. That would not have been good. Fortunately, the monk seemed to believe her, though the suspicion in his scent increased. Several other things in that scent made Inuyasha’s blood boil as he led Kagome away. Nobuno or whatever the hell his name was reeked mostly of self-confidence and satisfaction, but there were traces of attraction and even lust that had the hanyou furiously trying to send telepathic messages to his mate. Be careful around him, Kagome! I don’t know how, but you’re human, and I can’t protect you like this. Ha! That was a laughable thought. In a heartbeat his protective drive had gone from ‘push her away’ to ‘keep her close.’ All it took was her presence to change his mind completely.
Inuyasha spent the rest of the evening worrying in silence. He couldn’t make out Kagome’s words, but he could tell she was speaking to someone, an older man, in hushed tones. They must be planning a breakout tonight. He couldn’t do anything to help, but he would be damn ready when Kagome made her move.
* * *
“Kagome-sama.” Kagome woke with a start, shocked that she had fallen asleep. A side effect of being purified, I’m sure. Sitting up, she met the anxious eyes of a young man, probably in his early twenties.
“Ryuunosuke-san says it is time,” he whispered. Kagome nodded, and together the two of them went outside. The full moon was high in the night sky; in fact, if she had not shown up there would probably be an execution going on right about now. With any luck that would never happen. The village was dark except for a few scattered torches, kept lit by the handful of guards standing watch over the prison yard. All of them seemed unusually alert, but none questioned her presence as she passed by. Ryuunosuke-san’s men, she realized, moments before she and her young escort came to stand before the old man himself.
“Are you ready, Kagome-sama?” he asked solemnly. At her determined nod, he turned and led her down one particular row of cages. “You know the hanyou, so we should get him out first. Perhaps he can help us get the jewel shard from Noburu later.”
Kagome nodded again, grateful for his consideration. She wanted Inuyasha out of that cage so badly, and Ryuunosuke knew it. She just hoped they could avoid making too much of a scene in front of a bunch of strangers. She still didn’t know what she was going to say to him, or if she would say anything at all. There was so much that could be said, and yet, she knew that some of it didn’t really need to be spoken aloud. She had been able to tell just by looking at him how sorry he was, and how stupid and guilty he felt. It had almost been enough for her to forgive him on the spot. And with that in mind, she decided not to worry about what would happen when he was free. Even if she rehearsed something to say, she was sure she would forget it the next time she saw his striking amber eyes. Finally they reached the cage, and Kagome studied it, trying to keep her attention away from her trapped mate to avoid being distracted. There was one sutra clinging to the bars on each of the four sides, as well as one on the barred top. They probably only needed to remove one or two sutras per cage to allow the prisoner to escape.
“It may not be easy,” Ryuunosuke told her. “We can remove the sutras from the smaller cages just fine, but Noburu used really good sutras for the larger youkai, and we can’t pull them off. We were hoping you could do it with your spiritual powers.”
“I can do it,” she said quietly, clenching her fist. That sutra didn’t stand a chance. Stepping forward, she reached for the piece of paper, catching Inuyasha’s eyes along the way, and froze. His golden orbs were wide with panic, shifting to and fro, almost as if he was trying to tell her something… Kagome gasped, and spun to warn Ryuunosuke before all hell broke loose.
In an instant the entire area was awash with the light of two dozen torches and filled with the voices of twenty angry men, most wielding swords or clubs. Several of Ryuunosuke’s guards were instantly overwhelmed, and the others were already surrendering. As the men closed in on her position, Kagome leapt into action. Grabbing the sutra, she sent a blast of power into it, tearing it off the cage and flinging it behind her. The mangled slip of paper fluttered in the air for a moment before disintegrating in a flash of blue flame. Meanwhile, Kagome thrust her arm through the bars of the cage, reaching for the sutra on Inuyasha’s forehead. No good; she came up mere inches short. Wedging her shoulder inside, she strained forward as far as she could. The sutra was almost within her grasp… Then she felt strong hands on her robes, and was yanked backward and thrown to the ground.
“No! Inuyasha!” she cried out as the men descended upon her, but the hanyou could only watch as she was quickly bound, wrists together in the middle of her back, several coils of rope looped around her torso to keep her upper arms pinned at her sides. (1) Someone picked her up by the ropes, lifting her to her feet and marching her a short distance before pushing her to the ground once more. She fell into a warm body, grateful that something had broken her fall. Pulling back onto her knees, she met the frightened eyes of the young man who had woken her not ten minutes earlier. He and the rest of the conspirators were sitting together, all of them bound in the same manner as she. Kneeling stoically in the middle of the sorry gathering, looking incredibly calm despite the direness of their predicament, was Ryuunosuke. He turned to regard her somberly, an apology in his eyes. She shook him off. It wasn’t his fault they had been caught; it was probably hers. And they could still get out of this, though she had no idea how. Right about now would be the perfect time for her youkai side to come back, but the odds of that happening were slim to none. Still, she could hope. And pray for a miracle.
By now most of the village had turned out, roused by the commotion outside. They stared at the scene, conversing with each other in confusion, each wondering what was going on. Finally Noburu stepped forward and raised his hands, and slowly the villagers grew quiet.
“My friends,” he began, his tone lowered with the apparent solemnity of the occasion. If it was an act, it was a damn good one. “Tonight is a dark night. Evil has invaded our peaceful village, seeking to destroy us. These men you see tied up before you, some of them your husbands, fathers, and children, were caught trying to free the youkai we have captured. They sought to unleash the monsters as you slept! And what would have happened if they had succeeded? The youkai would surely have turned on us! The men would have had no chance to defend themselves, the women and children no opportunity to flee. We would all have been slaughtered!” Here Noburu paused, and the outraged rumbling of the villagers spiked dramatically. The prisoners ducked their heads against the handful of rocks and stones thrown their way.
“What do we do with them?” one of the village men yelled, and the crowd again quieted to hear the answer.
“That is for the village elders to decide,” Noburu replied, and a new uproar arose concerning what that decision should be.
“Damn,” Ryuunosuke swore, much to Kagome’s surprise. Seeing her staring at him, he tried to clarify. “Noburu knows his authority is limited here. I had been hoping he would overstep his bounds, and the villagers would start to distrust him, but he is too smart for that. He doesn’t care what happens to us, so he’s going to let the village decide. He still gets to have his execution, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Kagome frowned, seeing the older man’s point. Noburu was as crafty as any politician from her time, and he was moving the masses like an expert puppet master.
“However!” the manipulative monk called out, waiting until the villagers settled down before continuing. “I would advise leniency.” This surprised everyone, captives included. Perplexed murmuring rumbled until Noburu raised his hands again. “These men are your friends and family,” he explained, “and aside from giving us all a scare, they did no harm. I believe they will soon see the error of their ways and repent their actions. And I also believe that those actions were not entirely their own. They were led astray by an outsider, a snake in the grass, a visitor who took advantage of our hospitality and then betrayed us. I speak, of course, of the miko Kagome!”
At once Kagome felt every eye in the village upon her. The loudest uproar yet rolled through the village, much of it displeased. Kagome found a small hope in that reaction; this was a time where people with spiritual power were accorded a great deal of respect. It would not be easy for Noburu to convince them that she was in fact a traitor. Several shouts went up, demanding proof, and Noburu responded immediately.
“I will present my proof later, my friends. Now, let me finish presenting my allegations.”
Kagome suddenly got the distinct impression that she was on trial. Where’s a lawyer when you need one? She didn’t dare speak out for herself yet, not with Noburu’s stranglehold on the gathering. She would bide her time and wait for a better time to defend herself. A fat lot of good a lawyer would do her now, anyway. This was feudal era justice; there were no appeals to higher courts, no technicalities, loopholes, or human rights to protect her. There was only evidence, judgment, and punishment.
“No longer should you treat Kagome as a pure miko, my friends,” Noburu continued. “She does not deserve your respect, nor the honorific at the end of her name. She is a dark miko!”
The crowd roared once more, and this time Noburu let it go. Eventually they quieted down on their own, several older men stepping forward and demanding to hear what she had to say.
“Well you heard them, Kagome,” the monk observed, “do you deny the charges?”
“Yes, I do,” she replied firmly. “I am not a dark miko.”
“I see. Well we all know that dark miko consort with youkai, do we not?” Noburu declared, motioning to the villagers. “And you were caught trying to free a group of youkai from a well-deserved death. Is that not consorting with youkai? Furthermore, as you were dragged away from the hanyou’s cage, you yelled something to him. You screamed, ‘No! Inuyasha!’ What does that mean? I can only conclude that ‘Inuyasha’ is the hanyou’s name. A fitting moniker, is it not, my friends?” he asked the crowd, which rumbled in agreement. “And if you knew the hanyou’s name, then you must have a pre-existing relationship with him! Do you deny it?”
Kagome grimaced; she knew she was stuck. If she denied knowing Inuyasha, Noburu would call her a liar, and the evidence was on his side. More than twenty people heard her desperate cry, and she cursed her impulsiveness. Calling Inuyasha’s name had never gotten her in so much trouble before. There was nothing for it; she had to tell the truth and hopefully explain herself afterwards. It was probably better than being condemned a liar; at least by coming clean she preserved some credibility. Saving her own skin didn’t matter. If she didn’t convince these people that what they were doing was wrong, then Inuyasha was going to die, and she couldn’t imagine living if that happened. As for said hanyou, sitting there watching Kagome be denounced like this was almost too much to bear. It was nearly as bad as hearing and smelling the approach of Noburu’s men, and being unable to warn her. Deny it, Kagome! Save yourself! Tell them you don’t know me!
“No, I do not,” she answered. Inuyasha cursed inwardly. Damn stubborn wench! If you die because of me I’ll never forgive myself!
“There, you see?!” Noburu shouted. “She’s a dark miko!”
“No I’m not!” Kagome retorted. “Associating with youkai does not make a miko evil!”
“Hmmm…” Noburu considered, rubbing his chin for a moment. “I suppose you’re right. It wouldn’t be so bad if a miko kept a small one as a pet. Or a weak one as a slave. But I find it hard to believe that this vicious creature can be tamed!”
“Inuyasha is not vicious, and he’s not a pet or a slave, you loathsome bigot! He is my friend, a loyal and loving companion. He’s far more honorable than most of the humans I’ve met in this ti—here!” Kagome shrieked, unwittingly hurting her cause. Many of the villagers had been nodding their heads with Noburu’s statements, and they didn’t appreciate her insult or her implication.
Noburu barked out a laugh. “A companion, you say? But this hanyou is far more than a companion to you, isn’t he?”
Suddenly the village went deathly silent, everyone realizing the seriousness of the insinuation. For many of them, it was the most odious allegation they had ever heard, and they had trouble believing it could be true. Noburu was only too happy to convince them otherwise.
“I had heard rumors of a hanyou and a miko traveling together to collect the scattered pieces of the Shikon no Tama, but I dismissed them as fantasy. What miko in her right mind would trust a hanyou with something as powerful as the jewel? And what self-respecting miko would associate with a half-breed in the first place? Then I stumbled upon a fragment of the jewel in this village. It has only been here for a short while, and isn’t it an interesting coincidence that both a hanyou and a miko have shown up already? Furthermore, earlier this evening Kagome sensed my jewel shard and asked me about it. Only a few people in the world have that ability! She tried to hide it, but she was very interested. My friends, Kagome is the miko from the rumors, and that half-breed over there is the hanyou!”
The villagers mumbled to each other, some already swayed by the strong argument, probably because it was all true.
“And that isn’t even the worst part, my friends. Those of you with weak constitutions may wish to cover your ears. I have also heard people say that the hanyou and miko seeking the jewel were far closer than two such people should be. He carried her on his back, touched her in a casual manner, and was far less respectful than a lowly youkai should be. People from other villages have seen this and been outraged! But even that is not the extent of the debauchery. I had my suspicions beforehand, but when I heard Kagome’s frantic scream, I knew the truth. She and the hanyou are involved in a most unholy relationship, condemned by the Kami and all that is good and decent in the world. They are fornicating with each other!”
A few villagers cried out in protest, but most were stunned into silence. They turned toward the miko, awaiting her reply.
“Well, Kagome,” Noburu asked, “do you deny it?” And he smirked.
Kagome felt her blood boil; the bastard had the audacity to taunt her like that. He had put it all together, and was sure he was correct. He was also confident that she would not deny it, and if she did he would be able to convince the village she was lying. So she had to ask herself the question: could she really tell all these people that she and Inuyasha weren’t involved? Could she deny their love? Would the words even pass her lips or would she choke on them? Or should she simply tell the truth and deal with the consequences? As for Inuyasha, he could see the oncoming catastrophe. Dammit, Kagome, you have to deny it this time! If you tell them we’re together, it’s all over for the both of us! Don’t worry about me. Save yourself, you crazy bitch!
“Yes, I do,” she answered. Inuyasha started to relax, but then… “Inuyasha and I are not ‘fornicating.’ We are fully mated under youkai custom.”
“Ugh!” Noburu cried out over the roar of the mob. He staggered backward and clutched at his chest, as if her confession wounded him deeply. “For a human woman to defile herself so…in all my days I have never been so disgusted!” The village rose as one in agreement, condemnations flying rapid-fire now.
“Dark miko!”
“Dirty slut!”
“Youkai whore!”
Their words stung, but worse were the reactions of her co-conspirators, all of whom edged away from her and stared back in revulsion. Even the young lad who had broken her fall was among them. Only Ryuunosuke remained stoic, still kneeling in a meditative posture with his eyes closed.
“Y-yeah!” one of the tied-up youths chimed in, obviously seeing her as an available scapegoat. “I didn’t really want to free the youkai. She tricked me!” The rest of the prisoners followed his lead, and soon they were released and greeted warmly by their families. The only two captives remaining were her and Ryuunosuke.
“Well, Ryuunosuke,” Noburu inquired with a sneer, “did Kagome trick you as well?”
Finally the old man raised his head, meeting the monk’s gaze with regal defiance blazing in his eyes. “How could she have, since releasing the youkai was my idea?”
Gasps and sounds of disbelief resonated throughout the clearing, but no one spoke up against Ryuunosuke. He apparently was still too well-respected in the village to be condemned so quickly.
“I have never known this village to be so bigoted,” he continued. “Who are you to judge Kagome-sama? What gives you the right to decide whether her choice of a partner is right or wrong? I’m not saying you have to like it or agree with it, but it is none of your business! If any of you were in her position, with a loved one about to be executed, you would have done the same thing. Do you remember the days when we lived in peace, side by side with the youkai of the forest without incident? I long for a return to those times, before we started rounding up every youkai we could find. We have all been led astray by this slick-tongued outsider. It is time to take back our lives, and return our humble village to the way it used to be!”
No one spoke for a long moment after he finished, each person weighing the elder’s words carefully.
“A fine speech, very eloquent,” Noburu declared out of the blue. “You almost had even me convinced! But you forgot one thing, Ryuunosuke. You say this is all my fault, but did I bring a jewel shard into this village? Did I make the youkai attack? Did I make them brutally slaughter several of your family and friends?!” He paused, grinning as several villagers jumped in and answered his questions with cries of “No, you saved us!”
“That’s right,” he replied self-righteously. “Everything we have done was undertaken with the sole goal of protecting this village. I too long to see all of you return to the peaceful lives you once lived. But it cannot happen without sacrifice! There will always be a danger, until every youkai in the area is exterminated. That is the price of your safety, the cost of your peace, and I know that for the sake of the people you hold dear, you will do what is necessary!”
Ryuunosuke hung his head and Kagome shook hers in disgust as the mob once more clamored in favor of their charismatic de facto leader. Ryuunosuke had appealed to their logic and reason, while Noburu preyed on fear and emotion. It was no surprise that the young demagogue had won.
“As for Kagome, you said that we have no right to judge her. Well, I say we do! When something is so repugnant to the laws of nature, we humans need to rise up against it. The natural order must be preserved. We will not allow a miko, who is supposed to be among the purest of humans, to debase herself by carrying on with such filth!”
The crowd roared as one, like spectators at a political rally, and several of the more extreme participants began to shout their views on what should be done with her.
“Kill her!”
“Send her to the execution platform! Let her die a youkai’s death!”
“People, people!” Noburu chided, calming the frenzy. “Let us not be too hasty. Perhaps things are not as they appear. It is possible that Kagome is being controlled by a youkai, perhaps that hanyou over there! Allow me to take her into my chambers and examine her. If she is being bewitched, I believe I can save her.”
The mob cheered, lauding their leader’s kind heart. Kagome had been surprised and slightly grateful when Noburu intervened on her behalf, but now a cold knot of fear settled in her belly. She would rather be at the mercy of the mob than find herself alone with this man, especially considering the chilling vibe she had received from him earlier in the evening. But she didn’t have any say in the manner; strong hands grabbed her ropes and dragged her roughly to her feet, pushing her on Noburu’s heels toward the village inn. One of the larger rooms had been taken over as the monk’s living quarters, and she was ushered inside. As the men turned to depart, Noburu quietly told them not to let anyone else in no matter what they heard. “For the safety of the village,” he said. When the shoji door slid shut behind them, Noburu stood there facing away from her, head down. Then a dark chuckle reached her ears, sending a chill down her spine. When he turned to her, a lascivious grin marring his features, there was no doubt as to his intentions. Kagome stumbled backward a few steps, her heartbeat thundering in her chest.
“S-stay away from me!” she ordered. Noburu ceased his laughter, and his grin took on a sinister edge.
“What’s the matter, my dear? You’ll fuck a half-breed, but I’m not good enough for you? We’ll see about that.”
He advanced, and Kagome retreated until finally her back touched wall and she could go no further. In her entire life, she had never felt so helpless. If only her hands were free, then she could fight this bastard literally tooth and nail. She snarled to herself, vowing to do everything she could despite the hopelessness of her situation. As soon as he was in range she aimed a powerful kick at his groin, but Noburu was expecting such a move. He shifted and took the blow off the outer thigh, then flung his leg out wide, throwing her off balance. The only reason she didn’t topple to the floor was because Noburu pinned her against the wall. His hand clamped around her neck, applying more than a little pressure. His face was mere inches from hers, his hot breath making her nauseous.
“Now that wasn’t very nice,” he taunted, amused by her feeble resistance. She spat in his face, the saliva getting in one of his eyes and splattering over his cheeks. He blinked several times, all traces of amusement vanishing from his countenance.
“You’ll pay for that, bitch!” he yelled, throwing her to the side. She landed hard on her shoulder with a yelp, but the bruise that would form there was the least of her worries. In the next instant he was on top of her, straddling her thighs and holding them in place. He loomed over her, seeking contact with her lips which she struggled to deny. Her thrashing proved effective until he finally reared back and punched her in the gut, knocking the wind from her. The world seemed to slow down for Kagome in that moment, as if her mind was clinging to this last iota of time where her body was her own. And even with what was about to happen to her, she couldn’t help but think of the man she loved, sitting outside paralyzed, being forced with his acute hearing to listen to everything going on inside this room. She didn’t know which of them would be hurt worse by this. Inuyasha, I’m sorry.
A familiar presence appeared in her mind, sending jolts of electricity through her body, and suddenly the weight atop her was gone. She opened her eyes just in time to see the last fading vestiges of a crimson aura emanating from her body. A groan drew her attention to her attacker, who was just now picking himself off the floor a good six feet away. Seeing her chance, Kagome climbed to her feet and bolted for the exit, lowering her shoulder and busting right through the shoji door. Her momentum ruined her balance and she wound up lying on the floor surrounded by pieces of splintered wood.
“Hey!” one of the guards cried, but she was up and running again before they could react. After weaving through a few hallways, she burst out into the night. “Get her!” someone called from behind her, and she didn’t dare stop running as she tried to reason with them.
“No, help me! He’s trying to r—ugh!” she groaned as someone tackled her from the side, bearing her to the ground. Her head thwacked against something hard, and she saw stars. She teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, not truly aware of the world around her. Inuyasha…that was Inuyasha’s aura…he saved me somehow. But how? How is that possible?
Nearby, Inuyasha was asking himself the same question. He couldn’t even describe how he felt when he realized what that bastard Noburu intended to do. It would be a useless effort to even try; no words were strong enough to encompass all of his anger and pain. He would have given anything to be able to save her. He remembered his aura flaring, as he subconsciously reached out to her in the only way he was capable. Then suddenly he felt her, as if she was right by his side, and his youki wrapped itself around her. No, it wasn’t like that. It was more like she took his youki within her body and used it to defend herself. One thing was rapidly becoming clear to Inuyasha—their connection was far stronger than either of them had realized. It suddenly dawned on him that this wasn’t the first time that fact had been demonstrated to him. All those times I thought I felt her presence, just for a moment, and I thought I was imagining things…it really was her! When I almost lost my mind after killing that beetle, she really did save me! That’s how she’s been following me this whole time, by tracking my aura through our connection! He had heard it said before that mates became part of each other, and apparently that wasn’t just a figure of speech in some cases.
“Noburu-sama, are you alright?!” a woman’s voice rang out, drawing a snarl from Inuyasha. That dirtbag walked gingerly out of the inn, and immediately half the village gathered around him in concern. The only attention Kagome got was one of the men prodding her none-too-gently with his toe. Kagome dimly felt the touch and accompanying motion, but most of her mind remained detached by the blow to the head. She had unknowingly come to the same conclusion as her mate regarding their connection, and she thought she had a way to use it to help him. If I can use his youki, then maybe…
“Yes, I’m fine,” Noburu soothed. “She took me by surprise! But I still believe I can save her,” he declared, shooting a malicious grin Inuyasha’s way. He did a quick double-take, his mouth falling open in shock. “What the—”
A tremendous blast of power cut him off, pure pink energy exploding from Inuyasha’s cage. When the light faded, the hanyou could be seen standing with a fierce expression on his features, the charred remains of his forehead sutra crushed in his right hand. Noburu watched in horror and amazement as the hanyou raised his hand, flexing his claws before flinging his arm out and smashing the bars at the front of the cage to pieces. The monk cursed the fact that he had neglected to replace the sutra Kagome had destroyed, not that it appeared it would have made much of a difference. How is this possible! Screams from the villagers signaled that the hanyou was on the move, and Noburu dropped into a fighting stance. But Inuyasha ignored him, leaping over the crowd to land beside Kagome. He scooped her up in his arms and took off, and for a moment Noburu thought he meant to flee. Given what he had just witnessed, he wasn’t sure if his barrier surrounding the village would hold. Instead, the hanyou gently set the miko down on the edge of the village.
“Kagome,” he whispered, tenderly brushing the hair out of her face. She stirred and her eyes cracked open slightly.
“Inu…yasha,” she replied weakly.
“Shhh, rest K-Kagome,” he ordered, choking on the word. It had been far too long since he’d spoken her beautiful name aloud. Finally she was back by his side where she belonged, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. As much as he wanted to just take Kagome and get the hell out of here, there were still many innocent youkai trapped in cages. And Noburu had to pay for what he almost did. There would be no mercy for him. Setting his face in a hard expression, Inuyasha stood and turned to face his adversary. He was met with the wide, frightened eyes of dozens of villagers, and the cool, steely eyes of one man. He smirked, allowing a fang to poke past his lip.
“Listen up, humans! I don’t intend to kill most of you. The only one who has to die is that bastard!” he hollered, pointing a finger at Noburu, the digit shaking with rage. “I’ll never forgive him for what he tried to do! But I swear, if any of you go near Kagome I’ll tear your fucking throats out!”
It was no idle threat, and the cowering humans did not take it as such. Inuyasha rejoiced in the heightened scent of fear, if only because it meant Kagome would be left alone while he was in battle.
“Do not worry, my friends,” Noburu said confidently. “Please stay back and allow me to handle this. I will take care of the hanyou and then I will deal with our wayward priestess.”
“Over my dead body!” Inuyasha retorted.
“That’s the idea. Only when I’m through with you, there won’t be anything but dust left.”
Snarling, Inuyasha charged his foe as the villagers retreated in panic. He leapt into the air, preparing to slice the monk in half with his claws when he came down. Noburu stood calmly until the last moment, then swiftly raised his staff. The clang of claws on metal sounded as Inuyasha tried unsuccessfully to sever the weapon in two, and then the hanyou was forced to duck as that same weapon whizzed over his head. He swiped diagonally upward with his right hand, but Noburu dodged again. The monk then parried a wild left and blocked another right, causing Inuyasha to growl in frustration. He was very light on his feet, this bouzu. It reminded him of his fight with Miroku, though he had never hated the good-natured, if lecherous houshi. He despised Noburu with all the blackness of his soul, and he would slaughter him even if it cost him his own life. Extermination was the only way to deal with a fanatic like him.
But it wasn’t going to be easy. Noburu was constantly in control as he fought, and Inuyasha felt his patience fading. Still he held himself in check; he had lost his composure in the past, and it usually ended with more damage done to him than the enemy. He continued to look for a hole in his adversary’s defenses. Deciding to try something new, he faked right and then came back with a left intended to bury itself into Noburu’s side. The monk reacted instantly, expertly sidestepping the attack and swinging his staff down toward the back of Inuyasha’s head. The hanyou rolled away so the strike only grazed his shoulder, but it still dazed him with the burst of spiritual power Noburu put into the blow. It took him an extra second to regain his footing and turn to face his enemy, and when he did there wasn’t enough time to dodge the sutra already on its way.
It struck him squarely in the chest, jolting him as before, but instead of his muscles going limp, he felt Kagome’s power well within him once more. A storm of lightning repulsed the sutra and sent it fluttering, until flame caught and reduced it to ashes that scattered on the winds. Inuyasha glanced over to his mate, not surprised to see her watching him through bleary, slightly unfocused eyes. He flashed her a grateful smile before turning his attention back to the battle at hand.
“How are you doing that?” Noburu demanded with a scowl. “It must be some sort of black magic!”
Inuyasha didn’t bother responding to that, knowing it would be futile to explain. This man saw human and youkai as fundamentally incompatible, and anything that revealed otherwise was ‘black magic.’ It didn’t matter; that close-mindedness would victimize no one else after this day. But since they were talking, Inuyasha had a question he wanted answered, more out of curiosity than anything else.
“Why that fuck did you do all this? Why do you want to wipe out all youkai?”
“Youkai are abominations, things with no value whatsoever to me. They must be destroyed if the human race is ever to be truly safe.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! I’ve seen humans who are much more vicious and dangerous than most youkai,” he retorted, thinking of the Band of Seven in particular. “And what gives you the right to condemn all youkai to death? You’re a mere mortal like the rest of us!”
“I’d say watching my family and then all the monks at my shrine get massacred by youkai gives me that right.”
If Noburu expected Inuyasha to be stunned by the revelation, he was sorely disappointed.
“Then what you’re doing now is even more ridiculous!”
“What?” Noburu growled lowly, glowering at the hanyou.
“If your friends and family were killed by bandits, would you go out and exterminate all humans?”
“You…you…”
“WhatR 17;s the matter? Did I strike a nerve?”
“Silence, half-breed! I will not stand for your insolence!”
“Then let’s finish this!” Inuyasha shouted, and was just about to dart forward to resume the fight when he felt a pulse by his side. And another. The third pulse brought a grin to his face, and he reached down and grasped Tetsusaiga’s hilt, feeling the sword’s power flow through him. It was like reconnecting with a long lost friend. Slowly he drew the rusty blade and held it before him for a moment, then transformed it in a rush of youkai energy, watching Noburu’s widening eyes the whole time.
“Wh—how?! There was no youkai aura on that blade before!”
“Tetsusaiga and I weren’t on speaking terms before, but apparently my sword has forgiven me.” Thank you, Tetsusaiga. “Prepare yourself, Noburu!”
With that, he took off running, raising his sword above his head. Youki swirled around the blade, and when he brought the sword down he did so with all his strength. Noburu raised his staff, the weapon glowing with his spiritual power, and the collision of the two forces was both violent and dreadful. Inuyasha was forced to look away until the energy from Tetsusaiga’s attack waned, and all that remained were the sounds of metal rubbing on metal. His eyes grew wide as saucers; Noburu was completely unharmed. Tetsusaiga had bitten a few millimeters deep into his staff, but other than that the attack had been totally ineffective. And the monk gave him little time to recover from his shock, pushing up with his staff and then aiming a powerful swing at Inuyasha’s exposed side. The hanyou blocked, but the burst of spiritual power from the staff sent him flying through the wall of a nearby hut.
He picked himself out of the debris, fully intent on finding out whether Noburu’s survival was a fluke or if he really was that strong. Unfortunately it was the latter, because all of Inuyasha’s attacks ended in much the same manner as the first. In a few minutes he was breathing hard, glaring across the silent battlefield at his enemy. Noburu also appeared fatigued, but he clearly had the advantage. His spiritual power was too much for Tetsusaiga’s youki, at least in its simple form. Inuyasha needed to use the Kongousouha or Kaze no Kizu, but the problem was that the villagers surrounded them in a wide near-circle. He was sure there would be some casualties if he used one of Tetsusaiga’s more powerful attacks. And as much as he told himself he didn’t care whether a few humans died, he knew it wasn’t true. He had to live with himself afterwards, and unless they were directly threatening Kagome, he had enough human blood on his hands. That still left unanswered the question of how exactly to defeat Noburu. Shit, I can’t win like this! I can feel Tetsusaiga’s pain. Pretty soon it will crack! What do I do?
Right on cue, he felt Kagome’s miko powers rise within him once again, but this time he ignored them. They wouldn’t do him any good now; if he couldn’t beat Noburu with Tetsusaiga, then he didn’t stand a chance hand-to-hand. Suddenly Tetsusaiga throbbed, and the miko energy gave an answering pulse. Again it happened, the two resonating with each other, almost as if… Tetsusaiga, do you want me to use Kagome’s power too? He couldn’t believe it, but he knew his sword well enough to be able to grasp what it wanted. He had always regarded Tetsusaiga as an extension of his body, but this would only work if that were true. There was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, he summoned Kagome’s strength, watching as a pink glow came to emanate from his body, mixing with the deep red of his own aura. Then the most surprising thing of all happened; the pink energy seeped from his arm onto Tetsusaiga, mixing harmoniously with the sword’s youki. He almost couldn’t take his eyes off the sight, so amazed was he at the open display of his connection to his mate. They had defeated many foes by combining their strength, and he supposed this was simply taking it to the next level. Within himself, Kagome, and now Tetsusaiga, the normally opposing forces of youkai and miko found complete harmony. And with the discoveries of this night, he knew there would never again be an adversary they couldn’t beat, together.
Without further ado he rushed across the clearing, the flowing auras on Tetsusaiga intensifying as he neared his enemy. They came together as before, Noburu blocking the swing with his staff. Kagome’s energy poured forth from the blade, crashing against the staff in waves, weaving together with Tetsusaiga’s youki as the two multiplied each other. He felt the monk’s arms buckle and heard a metallic crack before the weapons exploded in a blinding flash. Noburu’s terrified shriek died instantly as Tetsusaiga embedded itself in the ground. When the rampant energies subsided and the dust settled, there was nothing left of the monk except his staff, broken in two heavily charred pieces. As Inuyasha bent to pick them up, one more thing caught his eye—the bright pink shard of the Shikon no Tama, which he slipped into his robes. Finally, he slid Tetsusaiga into its sheath and heaved a sigh of relief. It was over.
Turning to Kagome, he growled. Some human was kneeling right next to her! I fucking told them to stay away from her—wait… That was the old man who had argued on their behalf, Ryuunosuke if he remembered correctly. He was probably the one human in this cursed village they could trust. It was clear from her expression that Kagome already did, and he wasn’t about to question her judgment. He started walking over to them, and Ryuunosuke stood to meet him.
“Thank you, Inuyasha-sama,” he said, bowing deeply.
“F-feh!” he replied uncomfortably, not expecting such reverence. “Bury these,” he ordered, handing over the pieces of the staff.
“Yes, I will. I’m afraid I must ask both of you one more favor,” the old man stated. “Will you help us free the youkai?”
They both nodded at once, and Inuyasha helped Kagome stand. “You alright?” he asked, genuinely concerned.
“I’m fine,” she answered. “Just a little dizzy.” Her head throbbed pretty good too, but he didn’t need to know that. She would be fine once her youkai side returned. Then the golf ball sized lump on her head would vanish faster. She realized, and Inuyasha probably did too, that they really needed to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk. But that would have to wait until they were alone. It would be best to finish up here as quickly as possible anyway, lest they overstay their already hostile welcome.
Releasing the youkai was far easier than either of them had anticipated. None of the villagers had spoken a word since Noburu’s demise, and they parted readily to let them through. The village reeked of fear, and they were all probably wondering when the vicious hanyou would turn on them. That was just fine with Inuyasha, even if his goal had switched to protecting them from any newly-liberated youkai that decided on a human midnight snack. Such concern proved unnecessary, however; none of the youkai made so much as a move to devour anyone. They had all seen or sensed the power he had just wielded, and none of them, even the primitive ones, were stupid enough to do something that would result in said power being turned on them. So the serpent-like youkai took to slithering overhead, waiting for the outer barrier to be taken down so they could return to their forest home. On the ground, families were reunited, children and parents clinging to each other for dear life, tears flowing freely. Kagome had to dry her eyes several times as well, as did many of the villagers. It was a truly touching spectacle, and she sensed the remorse in the air even without her hanyou sense of smell.
After all the cages had been opened, Kagome led the way to the outer barrier. Using the fact that she was human to her advantage, she took down one link of the chain, allowing the youkai to file through. After a brief farewell to Ryuunosuke, she retied the rope from the outside, assuring that the village would be protected from further youkai attacks, at least for the near future. The barrier wouldn’t hold forever, but it would shield them long enough for any lingering grudges held by youkai to die down. She and Inuyasha turned to each other and shared a look of overwhelming relief. At long last, they were ready to go home.
They walked slowly through the trees, purposefully avoiding the path and the tripwires which guarded it. Ryuunosuke had agreed to take them down in the morning, but that didn’t help them right now. He had offered to let them stay the night, and it would have made sense to accept that offer, but neither of them felt like spending an extra second in that village. Progress was slow since Kagome couldn’t see very well and Inuyasha didn’t dare ask if she wanted a ride. They really needed to talk, but even more than that they needed to sleep. He decided to focus his attention on finding a suitable place to settle down for what remained of the night, while Kagome worried about not tripping over a tree root or walking into a low-hanging branch. But she allowed her mind to wander a little bit, and thought of something she had forgotten about.
“I’d better hang onto the jewel,” she said, holding out her hand. Inuyasha placed Noburu’s small shard in her palm, glad to have his ‘shard detector’ back. His amused grin fell when she kept her hand out and gazed at him expectantly. “Well? Where’s the piece you and I collected?”
Inuyasha’s mind went blank, pure panic frying his nerves. His face reflected horror and guilt as he stared at the ground, and Kagome’s eyes widened as she studied him by moonlight.
“Inuyasha, where is the jewel?” she asked again, praying she was wrong. In the past, he had only looked like that when she was involved. He didn’t…he wouldn’t! No answer.
“Inuyasha!” she screamed, grabbing him by the robes and shaking him. “Where is the jewel?!”
“Kikyou has it,” he finally confessed, closing his eyes in resignation.
Kagome stepped back and released him, and for a moment she just stood there, physically incapable of doing anything at all. Then, without a word, she turned and stalked into the trees.
(1) This is the same way Kagome, Miroku, and Sango were tied up before Naraku’s baby tried to find the darkness in her heart. The “standard” feudal era method, I guess.
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