InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mika- the Inu Ookami Hanyou ❯ The Mysterious Girl ( Chapter 3 )

The Mysterious Girl

 

Sango stuck her Hiraikotsu into the ground, near Kirara. She rushed to the girl's side, pulling the last sword from the wounded thigh. Sango was replaying the images of the girl as she fought like a demented demon. Before Sango was even able to assist the girl, she had dealt swiftly with the remaining bandits in a timely fashion. Sango verified the girl was still alive and carefully loaded her onto Kirara's back. Together, they made it quickly back to Kaede's village.

 

When the trio landed in front of Kaede's hut, Sango cried out for Miroku. He and the elderly priestess, Kaede rushed toward the big cat. “What happened to her?” Miroku asked as he pulled the unconscious girl into his arms, and carried her into the hut.

 

“She was surrounded by three bandits and proceeded to kill them. Before she passed out at my feet she said it was in self defense, but I did not arrive to see how it started. I was investigating the lone wolf howl when I stumbled upon the sight,” Sango replied, rather shaken by the bloody mess that lay on the bedding set near the fire in the hut.

 

Lady Kaede rushed Miroku out of the hut on an errand of fresh water from the well and Shippo for a few more pieces of fire wood. She glanced at Sango and asked, “Are ye alright, my child? You look rather shaken, more so than ye normally show. Did something happen ye did not want wish to share with them just yet?” She slowly removed what was left of Mika's clothes and began to bath the deepest wounds first as she cared for the young woman.

 

“She was like a demon, similar in fighting style to Sesshomaru. You know, Inuyasha's brother. The last man was killed when she'd burned a hole through his body with her hand. Although she appears completely human now, her whole left arm had changed before my eyes from claws and markings to normal after she passed out. I don't feel anything demonic about her, but I just can't shake off the images either,” Sango replied as she gazed at the peaceful battered face of the girl lying before her. She assisted the priestess in caring for the wounded girl as her mind tried to deal with the slaughter she had just witnessed.

 

An hour later, after the young woman's wounds had been cleaned with the deeper cuts bandaged with medicinal herbs and clean wraps, she lay in the sleeping area of the hut, covered with a blanket more for decency than for warmth. The others were seated around the fire, eating some rice and vegetables. They spoke quietly as to not awaken their unexpected guest.

 

“What shall we do with her? It's obvious she's not from around here,” Kaede asked.

 

Miroku thought of the same question. “Well I suppose we're just going to have to wait until Inuyasha and Kagome come back. I had hopped they would be back by now. But then this special guest that Kagome was speaking of may have been a good thing for her and not the hassle she thought it would be.” Just as he finished his sentence, Kagome and Inuyasha entered the hut.

 

Everyone looked up at the duo. “Well, speaking of the devil. What brought you back so soon? We thought you'd be gone for at least two days, if not three,” Miroku lied, actually relieved in their speedy return.

 

“That would have been the case, except we had an earthquake near the shrine that caused a horrific rift to open up and damage some nearby buildings. I'll be here for a few weeks since the school was also damaged and they have to make some extensive repairs. Not only that my cousin is missing. Right after the earthquake happened we heard the lone cry of an animal in pain. Inuyasha followed the sound as best he could and couldn't find anything but her luggage at the base of the shrine,” Kagome explained.

 

Inuyasha looked behind the group to where Mika lay on the sleeping mat. “Who's the girl?”

 

“We're not sure. Sango brought her back after investigating a strange sound not far from here. She was being attacked by some bandits,” Miroku replied.

 

Moving closer toward the girl, Inuyasha sniffed the air a few times, “Are you sure it was bandits and not wolves. I can smell wolf on her as well as something else. Something very familiar, that I just can't put my finger on.” He moved back toward the others, his mind methodically trying to place the familiar smell.

 

Kagome sat down near Sango as she also looked at the girl. “I wonder who she is,” she thought as she looked back at the fire as thinking of the events of that day. Shortly after she arrived back in her time earlier that morning her mother immediately put her to work finishing the cleaning work before the surprise guest arrived.

 

Within about half an hour after she arrived at home, Inuyasha surprised her with his arrival. Unfortunately, he also was put to work, making everything as spotless and as perfect as they could. As he started to help in the last minute spot cleaning the ground began to shake under their feet. They all headed for cover as the temple grounds shock violently. As the earthquake came to its end, a high pitched lone howl of pain sounded over the shrine. Inuyasha's ears picked up on the sound and followed it toward is source. At the foot of the hill that led to the shrine was the great chasm. He spotted the luggage and peered down into the rift. Inuyasha took a couple of deep breathes, smelling the faint blood mixed into the wall of the rift. He searched the chasm as best he could, but didn't find the source of the blood. When he returned to the shrine, he told Kagome's mom what he found and dropped the luggage and backpack to the ground. She rushed into the house and called the airport. They confirmed Mika's flight had landed and she had caught a cab. Midori then called the cab company and they verified she'd been picked up at the airport and dropped off at the shrine before the earthquake. She thanked them and turned back to Kagome and Inuyasha.

 

“This is terrible. We have to find her. I hope she's okay.” Tears began to well in her eyes as she thought of all the horrible things which could have happened to Mika. Kagome tried to comfort her mother as she moved toward a bookshelf which held some family photos. Midori opened the book and showed a relatively older picture of her niece's family. “This picture was taken about 10 years ago. It's the most current picture that we have. They were supposed to come this past Christmas, however, Jason couldn't get the time off and Ayame didn't want to travel without him. I'll take it down to the police station and have them look for her. Would you and Inuyasha look for her also? I'd appreciate it.”

 

As Kagome looked at the worried look on her mother's face, she replied, “I'll help the best I can. I'm sure even Inuyasha would help out as well. You'll see we'll find her soon.” She looked at Inuyasha with a pleading look on her face; however he had left the room.

 

Inuyasha went outside to clear his head. One thing he'd neglected to tell Kagome about the rift was that he was certain it was not natural, but had been manipulated by Naraku. Inuyasha had caught the faint trace of his demonic odor when he searched for the girl, as well as that of a wolf.

 

When Kagome came out to him a short time later she said, “Mom finally fell asleep holding onto that book. She feels so bad about losing Mika's family that she's taking it very personally. What do you think happened to her?”

 

“I followed her scent as far down into the chasm as I could. Unless she got buried alive, I couldn't find her. I should tell you that I believe Naraku is involved with her abduction, but how could he have planned for this to happen?” He looked over the shrine to the Sacred Tree and the building that housed the Bone-Eaters' Well. As he saw these now, he realized that the answers to the missing girl would be found in the past. He was not sure why, but he knew she was in the past and they needed to find her quickly.

 

With urgency, Inuyasha urged Kagome to pack for the trip to the past. She had received word from the school about its damage and break from school activities for the next few weeks. With this in mind, Kagome packed for at least a two week excursion. She comforted her mother again and told her they would find her cousin and that she trusted Inuyasha's intuition to look into the past for her missing cousin. Once all was set, they leapt into the Bone-Eater's well and into the past.

 

As the group spoke in hushed tones around the fire, Mika relived the events of the past few hours through her dreams, however, she was seeing them as if a witness and not the victim. As the scene unfolded before her and the leader made his attack on her she screamed. Thrashing about on the bed, a scream escaped her dry parched throat and she sat bolt upright on the bed. The group looked over at her in shock at not only her being awake, but at her near nakedness with bandages covering her both her shoulders and upper torso. Suddenly, the men were knocked on the heads and forcibly thrown from the hut.

 

“What was that for? It's not like I saw anything!” Inuyasha demanded, rubbing the growing lump between his ears.

 

Miroku leaned up against the wall of the hut, his lecherous mind recalling the girl's lithe body and what he considered perfect sized breasts. “Now, Inuyasha quit whining so we can hear what's going on. Hopefully we can get some answers to who that girl is.”

 

While tending to the ache on his noggin, Inuyasha came across the discarded remains of the cloths Mika arrived in. Although the blood had dried he immediately recognized it as the same as he smelled at the shrine. With this knowledge he moved back toward the hut and knocked on the door.

 

“Kagome, can I speak with you a second?” he asked. When she exited the hut he said, “The girl in there is your missing cousin. I found her cloths in a pile of ruble and recognized the smell. I'm beginning to wonder how she got here.”

 

Kagome looked at him deeply, not wanting to accept what he said, and yet knowing he had no reason to lie to her. “You're sure it's Mika? 100 percent sure that it's her?”

 

He smiled a bit, rather arrogantly, as he replied, “My nose is never wrong. I'm sure it's her. While you get to know her a bit better, I'll go back to your time and tell your mother we've found her.”

 

Before he turned to leave, Kagome rushed forward, embracing him in a hug that spoke volumes. “Thank you for being concerned about my mom. She will appreciate your thought fullness.” She let him go and reentered the hut to meet her newly found cousin for the first time. Inuyasha left for the well to complete the errand he'd volunteered for.

 

As the knocking of heads took place, Mika quickly pulled the covers around her shoulders, covering her near nakedness. She saw Inuyasha and Miroku before they were thrown from the building. Her current fear of men had her shaking uncontrollably beneath the blanket. The only thing which confused her more than her overpowering urge to flee was the curiosity of Inuyasha's appearance.

 

Kaede moved toward her as she said, “I'm Lady Kaede, a priestess of the village. May we know ye name, child?”

 

As Mika looked around at the remaining group of women, she recognized the young warrior. She'd also noticed the other woman in what could only be described as a school girl outfit. “Mika,” was all that she could say. Then just as her nerves began to settle, a knock on the side of the hut sounded and the girl in the uniform left. Mika was in such a state she hadn't even heard the voice or what had been said.

 

The young warrior turned to her, “I'm Sango, and the three we threw out were Inuyasha, Miroku, and the young boy is Shippo. If you don't mind my asking how did you get here?”

 

Mika sat for a few moments in a daze, and then replied, “I'm not sure. My head, I think I hit my head when I fell.”

 

Sango was still concerned about what the girl had done to the bandits when Kagome came back in. “Sorry about that, but at least now I think I have an idea of who you are! Inuyasha said he recognized your scent from before at our shrine! My name is Kagome, and I'm guessing you're my cousin Mika?”

 

Mika's eyes flew open at Kagome's statement. She faintly remembered were she was supposed to be. Sango and Kaede both looked surprised as Mika stuttered, “Well yes I know my name is Mika, but… my cousin… Kagome, I… I can't remember, what's going on?” Kagome slowly started to tell the short tail of what had happened in her world. Mika sat there as a slow sullen feeling starting to over take her. When Kagome finished she turned to Mika and asked, “Do you remember any of this Mika?”

 

Mika sat there trying to remember but the only thing she could remember was waking up and then running into the bandits. She also barely remembered how she killed the same bandits that tried to rape her. With a shake Mika replied, “All I remember is waking up with my clothes nearly shredded…my face covered in blood… trying to find help…running into those…those men!” Mika hugged herself as she tried to suppress the urge to cry.

 

Kagome and Sango looked at each other as Kaede went to Mika's side. “There, there child ye be alright now.”

 

“If you don't mind my asking do you remember what happened to the bandits that attacked you?” Sango asked.

 

Mika looked from Sango to Kagome, and after taking some water Kaede handed her, Mika said in a shaky voice, “I… uh… I was just trying to see who they were, and then another one hit me over the head. I went limp, but didn't black out. They started arguing over who could… Well the leader killed one and he fell on me. I tried to get the sword from the one that fell on me, but the leader pulled him off and pinned my arm.” Mika stopped and took a long breath, “Then he started to choke me, and it all went fuzzy. All of a sudden there was, an energy building up in my arm, and I swung at the man. When I got up the others surrounded me, but I wasn't really there. I just reacted, and I don't even know how I did it. And then I saw you, and then I was here.” Mika finished with an uneasy feeling welling up inside.

 

Sango looked at Kagome and then back at Mika, “So you don't remember anything before that?”

 

“No, but I have this feeling that something is missing, something important. Something that's torn at my heart, but I can't remember!”

 

“Now, now it's okay Mika. You get some rest and your memory will come back soon,” Kagome said in a kind and motherly tone. Mika looked at Kagome almost on the verge of tears and then nodded her head. After drinking some tea that Lady Kaede offered, Mika laid down and fell fast asleep. The three women went out to the others.

 

“So what do you think Kagome is this your cousin?” asked Miroku.

 

“Yes, I'm sure. I hope Inuyasha will bring her bag back and see if any of the contents will spark anything.”

 

“Well then it seems she was defending herself, but I wonder how she killed those men. Sango you said it looked like the poison claws that Sesshomaru uses right?”

 

“I'm quite sure, but how could a human from Kagome's world know that. Kagome what do you know about your cousin?”

 

“Not much, just that she just lost her parents.”

 

“And Inuyasha was sure she has the same scent as by the rift in your world?”

 

“Yes, he was positive it was the same. He seemed to take delight in reminding me how good his sense of smell is” Kagome answered with a sigh

 

“That Inuyasha can be so petty some times,” added Shippo.

 

Kaede looked at Kagome and asked, “What ye make of the tattooed words, `wolf, human, dog, and demon' that appear on her shoulder?”

 

Kagome seemed a little startled. “I'm not sure. I really don't know much about my cousin except she comes from America and I've never met her.”

 

“We'll just have to wait and see what Inuyasha can find from your mother, Kagome,” Miroku replied, as they all looked off to the well.

 

Present Era…

 

“Oh, you've found her, how wonderful!” Midori squealed with relieved joy. “Is she ok? What happened? How did she get back there?”

 

“My other darling granddaughter is in the feudal era! Are you sure it's her and that she was ok?”

 

“Hey Inuyasha does Kagome know?” asked Sota.

 

Inuyasha took a step back from the onslaught of questions. “Well I uh, yes Kagome knows, and yes I'm sure it was her. It was the same scent as by the rift in the road. And she was hurt but Kaede was tending to her, she seemed to think the girl would be fine. I do have a few questions though. Like why does Mika look so different from any of you, as in the fair complexion, red hair and blue eyes? And why does she smell like a wolf?”

 

Midori looked at her father, as grandpa replied, “Well, her appearance is because she was adopted. We found the child in the hidden well outside. My second daughter, Ayame couldn't have children so the little baby girl crying in the well seemed to be a God send. We said she'd a home birth and that was that. She was ours. As to the scent of wolf, we're not sure.”

 

“That's strange. Didn't you wonder how she got in the well?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Well, we all wondered, and also the child had a strange tattoo on her body. It said `human, wolf, dog, and demon.' She also had a small charm of a wolf and crescent moon with her name on it. We all wondered, but Ayame was so happy we couldn't take the baby away,” said Midori with a twinge of guilt in her voice.

 

“Well that sure explains it, and the other scent I kept getting could have been dog. It seems to me what happened was someone from my world threw the child into the well to get rid of it, and your daughter took her as her own.” Inuyasha thought, “I need to get back. With this new information we'll be more likely to figure out what happened to her parents, as well as figure out how she got in the Feudal Era in the first place.” He turned toward the door as he said, “I'll try to get word to you as soon as I can.” With that Inuyasha reached for the door to leave.

 

“Wait Inuyasha, would you mind taking Mika's clothes to her. I imagine she may want them after what she's been through, with the earth quake, and if it's not her then Kagome can bring them back,” asked Midori in her normal cheerful tone.

 

“Yes and give Mika our love,” added grandpa, with Sota nodding his approval.

 

“I will, and don't you worry Kagome and I will keep Mika safe!” Inuyasha left the three reassured and calm, but as he made his way back one thought ran through his mind, “How could she have the scent of a dog? I was father's last child and Sesshomaru would never even associate with a half demon, much less enough to father a child. I'm positive that I'm not the father either. So how could she have that scent? Could there be another dog demon? I need to find Myoga!”

 

Feudal Era…

 

“Inuyasha,” sounded Kagome's voice, “What did mom say?” Inuyasha landed and revealed to the group what her mother said. “Oh and she also gave me this to give to Mika. It's the bag of clothes your cousin had.”

 

“That's good. The clothes she had on had been terribly torn, and will not due to run around in,” stated Kaede. “For now we shall let her sleep and hopefully she will feel better in the morning.”

 

As the others went inside Inuyasha stopped Kagome, “Kagome, there is one more thing the other smell I was getting, I think it was dog demon, but I don't see how that could be. I was the last child of my father and Sesshomaru would rather kill a half demon then have a child with one, and I know that I'm not the father either. So I'm not sure how she could have that smell.”

 

“Now that you mention it, I was wondering about the tattoo on her shoulder and the meaning behind it. Inuyasha do you think either Totosai, or Myoga would know?” Kagome inquired.

 

“I'm not sure, but I was thinking of going to find them and see what they have to say about this anyway. But let's get some rest and I'll go once we're sure she's okay.”

 

With that they went quietly inside to sleep, while unaware to the duo a lone Saimyosho buzzing close by. It waited until they had all gone in and then flew off to inform Naraku and Hakudoushi. The Saimyosho approached the secret lair, it past through Naraku's barrier, and landed on Hakudoushi's hand. “Well, well it seems a strange girl has stumbled across our little group of heroes. It seems that rift you were trying to open to Kagome's world worked, it just pulled someone else back instead of letting us go through. And it seems the girl is Kagome's cousin. With luck this girl could prove to be very useful.”

 

“Well then Hakudoushi what do you think we should do? The poor girl must be so confused, and I bet she could be fairly easy to manipulate.”

 

“Yes I suspect it would upset Kagome to no end for us to use her poor cousin.”

 

“Well then we shall have to do something special for this new girl.” With that the pair started to laugh with pure malice in there voices.