InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Miko Malice ❯ Miko Rising ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Productions, among others.

 

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers: kyokatlover, beautifulyreal, Totally Kawaii, SISTERINLAW19, angel_of_hope, TrueBelle

 

Sunrisegoodbyes: I've been working on some ideas on how to make Kagome be more expressive. Its just part of her character in this that she doesn't talk, but I agree to that she needs to have her own “voice.” Please keep reading though and tell me how I do.

 

inugurl93: I've checked the 3rd and 4th chapters, and when the come up for me, they have different texts. Are they still the same, because if they are I'll try to fix it.

 

Kokoronagomu: Yeah, I would say Inuyasha fits the description of a contrary. For this fanfic, I would say it's mainly because he isn't really in touch with his feelings: he doesn't understand his own emotions, and that's part of the story's progression. As for Sango, she's human. In this universe, what is Japan is divided up into a human territory and a youkai realm but their boarder isn't impermeable. However, since Sango is living amongst the demons, she is seen as of a lower class and is a servant. I hope that clears things up.

 

Akihana: You know, I think I've ready some of your stories in the past and I hearted them. Yeah, I know, I don't review as nearly as much as I should, but you write good stuff. Lol.

 

A/N: I don't really like to beg for reviews, but for those of you who want me to update more often, then that's the way to go about it. Right now, I'm trying to write a chapter a week so I can update every Friday. This is a pretty good pace for me, but it does smooth out my writing and it also inspires me when I get good feedback and analysis of my stories. Anyway, this is just and FYI, and I'll probably stick to once a week updates. As always, I'm glad to get anything I can! I just like to know someone out there is reading.

 

That being said, I have a job interview on Thursday that will determine if I get to keep staying at the children's house where I'm currently volunteering. If I don't get the job, I have to move back home with my parents (how humiliating!) but if I get it, I'll have my own apartment. Needless to say, I'm pretty stressed out and stress either makes me write more or gives me blinding writer's block. I'm also staying at the house all alone, so knowing other people know I exist would be nice, Lol.

 

I will really try to make my deadline on Friday, but under the circumstances, no promises. Please understand.

 

Chapter 4 Miko Rising

 

Kikyou fumed. Her father had been furious with her and had refused to see her, keeping her in closed quarters for months. He claimed to be keeping her away from her stepmother, but from the rumors Kikyou had picked up from the servants, the demoness had disappeared.

 

Then this morning, after so long in solitary confinement, her father had called for her.

 

This was it: he had to have decided her punishment. Why else would he have called for her now?

 

It was time to tell him her real reasons for sending the hanyou away.

 

Then she would be absolved.

 

She hoped.

 

XXXXXXXXX

 

“Come on wench!” Inuyasha called into the servant's room. He was going to tell the hanyou that she should be working, but really he wanted some company. Inuyasha had not realized how lonely he was until he had someone staying at the cabin with him. Now that he had some body—even a mute neko—under the same roof as him, he wanted the companionship.

 

When there was no sound, he poked the door open a bit. He was extremely careful, remembering the day before when he had walked in on her giving herself a cat bath.

 

Miyuki was sitting in the center of the room, her bedding folded neatly to the side, meditating. Her legs were in the lotus position, thumbs to her middle fingers, hand backs resting on her bent knees. Lips moved silently, reminding Inuyasha about what Sango had said, that she thought Miyuki had not always been mute.

 

A thought struck him. She's praying. Not just the everyday prayers that most knew, but deeper devotions. Meditating.

 

As if she sensed his presence, one of her cat ears twitched just before a slitted neko eye opened. The other eye remained closed as she, in her mediation daze, lazily regarded him watching her from the cracked door.

 

Jerking fully awake, Miyuki was on her feet in an instant, reeking of fear, eyes wide, ears at attention. She only stood on her feet for a moment before she practically dived onto the floor at his feet, arms in front of her body.

 

Inuyasha stared at her in shock. What the fuck is wrong with the wench?

 

“You don't have to do that, bitch,” he growled, embarrassed. Reaching down, he grabbed Miyuki by her upper arms and drug her to her feet. As soon as she flinched, Inuyasha released her, but by that time she was already on her feet. Her head was bowed, hiding her face, and the two stood in silence for some time.

 

“I'm not going to hurt you,” Inuyasha mumbled, feeling like he sounded soft. The neko nodded, but still refused to look at him. Her stance stirred something in him, possessing the hanyou to slowly move his fingers to reach under her chin and tilt her head up so she was looking at him. “I said,” he repeated, “I'm not going to hurt you. All right wench?” To reassure the girl, Inuyasha smiled gently at her.

 

Kagome needless to say was shocked as she stared at Inuyasha, her mouth slightly open. He's not going to hurt me?

 

It was not the first time she had heard that line, but it was the first time she believed the words. I'm not going to hurt you. Kagome had seen the brotherly way Inuyasha talked to Sango. No previous master had ever spoken to any woman that respectively. She had also sensed him in the forest yesterday while she had been cleaning out the bathhouse. Inuyasha had not even approached her. Though spying on her from a tree was suspicious behavior, if that was the worst she could expect from him, Kagome decided she could thank that Kamis.

 

On a deeper level, there was the matter of Inuyasha's scent: it wafted into her room at night and wrapped itself around her like a blanket. It soothed her fears and lapped at the deep ugly wounds on her body to the point that she could sleep peacefully: something Kagome had thought only a mate would be capable of, but that couldn't be.

 

Inuyasha was a dog demon. How could that ever work? The thought of a neko and an inu mating was highly laughable.

 

Marking up the humor in the thought, Kagome cautiously raised her eyes to her master's. He was still regarding her with an intense gaze, and for once Kagome found herself grateful she could not speak: she had no words for Inuyasha.

 

He said he wouldn't hurt me. The thought brought warmth to her heart and her face. Maybe I can trust him.

 

“Miyuki?” Inuyasha was asking her, trying to get her attention as she stared out into space. Miyuki? Who's that? Oh right… “Silence of Deep Snow”…that's me, Kagome groaned. If only there was some way to tell them my name.

 

But nothing came to mind. Instead, she turned her attention back to the inu hanyou before her.

 

“Are you going to make me breakfast?” Inuyasha questioned, wanting to fill in the silence that lay between them. Assuming that he was the girl's “master” (though that title was more commanding than he preferred), in Inuyasha's mind that meant he was entitled to a home cooked meal. Sango might have said the neko was there to clean, but he would have willingly traded that for food if it got him something to eat besides the dried stores he had been living off for so long.

 

Kagome hesitated and regarded Inuyasha's frown. She was afraid to say the truth, but if he found out she didn't know how to cook because he ate something horrible she had tried to throw together it would be far worse. Instead, she shook her head.

 

“I'm not asking, I'm telling you to make something for me to eat,” Inuyasha pressed, and Kagome was afraid he was becoming angry.

 

Again, she shook her head as she made her way past Inuyasha into the kitchen. Looking around, she exaggerated shrugging her shoulders.

 

Finally realization dawned over Inuyasha's features: “You're telling me you don't even know how to cook?”

 

Kagome couldn't help but smile as she nodded. We're making some progress.

 

“Keh. What kind of slave are you?” Or not.

 

In response to his rather naïve question, Kagome gave the inu hanyou a pointed look, sticking her hands to her hips. When he only looked at her with confusion, she pushed out her chest, letting her kimono slide open to showcase her pale skin and the curve of her breasts. Inuyasha blushed, then ducked his head. Kagome could tell from his scent that he was embarrassed and her ears detected him quietly breathing that he was sorry.

 

Heavens, doesn't he know anything? I thought I was sheltered.

 

Still, it was comforting to have a master more concerned with food than sex.

 

An awkward silence descended on them. Inuyasha's head was still ducked, his eyes finding the floor much more interesting than the neko. Kagome couldn't say anything, so she didn't know how to reassure him that he hadn't done anything wrong.

 

Deciding they both needed to concentrate on something more productive, Kagome reached out and tugged on his sleeve.

 

He looked up at her, slightly confused.

 

How to say food?

 

Reaching carefully, Kagome first rubbed Inuyasha's tummy, then pulled her hand back to pat her own abdomen.

 

“You're hungry?” He sounded hopeful.

 

Kagome nodded.

 

“I, uh, I only know how to make omelets,” Inuyasha offered. “I could show you.”

 

Kagome nodded. She was not thrilled with the idea of cooking, but knowledge was knowledge. While her mother had seen to it that her miko powers were honed and schooled (just as much for fear that her child would accidentally turn herself into a purified piece of bacon as for respect for Kagome's priestess heritage) and Kagome could mix any number of potions and herbal remedies to perfection by memory, rudimentary cooking escaped the young hanyou.

 

Following Inuyasha out the door to where there was a small coup for chickens, she watched with growing hunger as the inu hanyou gathered several eggs for their breakfast.

 

When Inuyasha turned back to her, he found Kagome drooling over the poultry. He couldn't help but chuckle at her, she looked so hungry. Her nose was working over time, her fingers flexing at her sides so that they flashed the protruding talons, not to mention the pupils in her brownish green eyes had become tiny line slits in comparison to the diamond shape they usually took.

 

“Come on, wench. Chickens are for eggs—not meat.” Inuyasha half laughed, half growled as he walked by her with a sweat drop.

 

It took Kagome a moment to consciously jar herself out of her trance and follow her master back inside his tiny hut.

 

XXXXXXXX

 

“After you've heated the pan over the fire enough to melt the butter, you crack the egg like this,” Inuyasha instructed Kagome. She mimicked his movements with an egg of her own.

 

Her break was not as clean as Inuyasha's and a few chips of shell dropped into the pan. Fear sharply spiked in her scent and reflexively, Inuyasha placed a hand on her upper back to comfort her. The instant his fingers touched her, he could feel Miyuki flinch, and the smell of fear she was already emitting turned deeper and dark—more like terror.

 

Kagome couldn't stop herself from feeling afraid—fear came naturally to her when a man's touch was involved. She had been concentrating so intently on the cooking lesson that Inuyasha's hand suddenly on her back was a shock that tore down her defenses, spilling out dread in the form of tears.

 

Inuyasha felt himself panic. She's so scared! I barely touched her! He hated it when women were upset. Its only a matter of time before…shit!

 

Miyuki was crying. He could tell she was trying to restrain herself, but Inuyasha could see that she was clutching her hands against her apron, fingers interlocking and shaking. Salt scent from her tears poured over him, and Inuyasha found himself at a complete loss as to what to do. He hated it when wenches cried.

 

Kagome, even though she was turned away from him, could tell that Inuyasha was just as frightened by her crying as she was that he might strike her for getting egg shell everywhere. The thought made her smile through her tears. Maybe things won't be so bad here. Maybe Inuyasha will take care of me. Sucking in a deep breath, Kagome began to force herself to relax, concentrating on making her aura calm.

 

In a moment of desperation to get the neko hanyou to stop her silent crying, Inuyasha opened his mouth—always a dangerous venture: “Its just egg!” He winced as soon as the words left his mouth. His tone had been much too harsh; practically a growl. Why can't I ever be nice?

 

Kagome felt herself unwind, and her miko energy spilled back into her. Distracted as he was, Inuyasha didn't know notice a fuchsia glow pool then disappear in the claws of the neko.

 

Still, he tried again. “Don't worry about the shell, we can get it out,” Inuyasha offered at the same time as he reached his claws out and deftly plucked out the chips. “See? No harm, no foul. Please don't cry?” He practically whined the last words. Neither he nor his father could explain it, but a woman's tears had always caused him unnatural worry.

 

At the sound of his bleating plea, Miyuki made a small noise of her own. Curiously, Inuyasha placed a hand on her should to turn her toward her and found her smiling. The neko hanyou had been trying to laugh, though no sound came from her lips.

 

The happy expression on her face seemed so much more natural than the fear and worry that usually bruised the girl's mood.

 

Glad that an all out fit had been avoided, Inuyasha picked up the cooking lesson where they had left off.

 

XXXXXXXXXXX

 

Kikyou walked down the familiar hallways of her father's castle, her head bowed, hands folded before her. However, unlike all the other times she had traveled the passageways, an armed guard followed her. The men led her right up to the door of Lord Higurashi's office where they banged heavily. When he called for her to enter, the men practically shoved the young priestess forward.

 

Deshi Higurashi was sitting at his desk, a long window opened behind him and offering a view of the surrounding countryside. He hardly glanced up when she entered, but continued looking at several papers scattered over his desk. “I believe you know why you're here, Kikyou.”

 

Kikyou nodded. “I am to be sentenced for disposing of the hanyou.” Her confidence slipped at her father's coldness toward her. What if he doesn't hear me out? It was just a hanyou, right?

 

Her eyes were still looking down at the floor so she missed the wearied and angry look her father shot her.

 

“That is correct. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

This time, Kikyou saw that Deshi was clearly surprised. In all the time of her imprisonment, she had routinely been brought before him and asked if she would at least give a reason for her actions. Kikyou had always been silent during the questioning.

 

She had been expecting to catch her father unawares with her final compliance.

 

“We—well?” Lord Higurashi chocked out, pleading with his daughter to tell him where Kagome was.

 

“I read its future,” Kikyou began. “And I believed the hanyou would be detrimental to your plans to eradicate the clan of inu youkai.”

 

“So that gives you the right to murder your own sister?”

 

“She is not my sister! And yes, it does,” Kikyou continued as she regained her calm from her outburst. “I have never seen how you can be so hypocritical to separate out demons. You marry a neko, but its fine for you to attack a family of dogs! I don't understand how my actions are any worse than what you are planning.”

 

“Perhaps—whether you wish to acknowledge the fact or not—because Kagome is your family. And as a priest I have to protect humans from the evil of demons, but can I recognize that not all youkai are evil. Your step mother and sister have no ill intent toward humans, and you should take that to heart Kikyou.”

 

Kikyou rolled her eyes in response. “We will get no where with this argument. I suggest you tell me my punishment and be done with it.” She was able to keep her stoic exterior, but her thoughts were whirling around in her head.

 

“Very well, if that is what you desire, Kikyou. I had thought I might be done with you and sentence you to death,” Kikyou paled at the words, but her father went on, “but I hope you still might redeem yourself. You are a powerful priestess and have been made for a life of good. Yet you are tempted to follow a path that only leads to appalling actions…”

 

“So you say, father.”

 

“…And, this is why I am sending you into youkai territory.”

 

“WHAT?”

 

“I'm sending you as an emissary to our youkai targets.”

 

“But they'll eat me!”

 

“No, they won't. They believe you to be the bride to their son. He has been in search for a bride for sometime, but unable to locate a worthy woman.” Deshi chose to omit the fact that the demon lord had said his son was a hanyou. “The youkai lord is willing to marry his son to a human as he wishes for contacts in the human realm. You will be my spy, and learn the intricacies of their home. Then, on your wedding day, it will be the perfect excuse for all of our strongest priests and priestesses to be in youkai country.”

 

Deshi leaned back in his chair, seeming pleased with himself.

 

Kikyou looked shocked, sickened. “Wait. You want me to marry a youkai? Just so you don't have to perform an all out campaign?”

 

“Kikyou,” her father rumbled in a warning tone. “It will save many lives and give us the upper hand.”

 

“But I can't—”

 

“No!” Deshi had leaped to his feet, his face ablaze with anger. “You will. You have essentially killed you sister and this is your punishment. You will go into youkai territory and you will act the part of a blushing bride. But this is not enough. You will find Kagome before I will allow you to come home.”

 

Kikyou opened her mouth to argue, but her father waved a hand and two guards appeared out of nowhere and physically carried her from the room.

 

“You leave tomorrow morning!” Deshi called just as Kikyou was pulled out of the door.

 

XXXXXXXXXXX

 

The furry little rabbit darted behind a tree, running for its life. Little did it know, the tiny woodland creature had just sped head long to its demise. Before it could even screech its little death thrall, the bunny was quite dead by the hand of a hanyou.

 

A moment later, Kagome came trotting up to where Inuyasha stood, the deceased rabbit hanging limply from his claws.

 

“Good chase!” Inuyasha praised as soon as he saw her. Usually it took him all afternoon to hunt down a meal. With Miyuki's help, they had cornered, caught, and killed the fuzz ball in under an hour.

 

The neko smiled at him, shyly, but this time she came closer to him than she had before on her own.

 

“You ready to go back?” Inuyasha asked.

 

Miyuki nodded.

 

Looking around, Inuyasha quickly saw that they had ran fairly far into the forest. Farther than he had been in some time and the hanyou realized he wasn't completely sure of the way back to the cabin. He could always scent their way home, but it would be a tedious path. Thankfully, the hanyou knew an easier way.

 

“Stay here for a minute,” Inuyasha called to Miyuki as he tossed her the dead rabbit and leaped up the trunk of a tall tree. Higher and higher he climbed until he was above the tree line. A little to the west dipped a ravine—if they had chased the rabbit any farther, they might have gone over the edge: there was so much underbrush hiding the cliff's edge from the forest floor. Turning around as best he could in the tree's branches Inuyasha scouted the area. Cresting distant treetops, Inuyasha could make out several of the turrets of Takahashi Manor. They needed to head east.

 

Inuyasha turned and leapt down, only to find himself hanging upside down with his foot caught in the crook of the very branch he had been standing on a moment ago.

 

Feh.

 

Trying to swing himself up to unlatch is foot, Inuyasha froze when he heard a loud crack. The hanyou did not even have time to react before the entire treetop was crashing toward the ground. Somehow in the fall, he got a half-assed hold on a sturdy limb that he soon found to be the only thing keeping him from falling to his death: the damned tree had landed so he was hanging out over the ravine.

 

Inuyasha cursed loudly as a wave of dizziness passed over him. Once it had gone, he tried to swing his arm up to get a better grasp, but he found he was turned at just the right angle to make it awkward when he reached for further up the tree, so that any movement caused him to loose what little hold he had already.

 

Suddenly, the limb dipped and Inuyasha thought he was about to meet his maker. He dug his claws frantically into the wood, trying to get purchase so that maybe—against all odds—he could some how get on top of it and jump to safety. Or at least jump off what was essentially a sinking ship.

 

But the tree did not go tumbling to the ravine floor so far below. It only bounced softly again.

 

Inuyasha found himself forced to release a breath he had didn't even know he had been holding. A wave of dizziness passed over him, and he tried to remind himself not to look down. By now he knew he was dangling over an extremely deep pit.

 

The tree continued its soft, subtle springing motions.

 

In an effort to see what the hell was going on, Inuyasha swiveled in his hold, immediately regretting the action as it shot pain through his wrist.

 

It also did not help that Miyuki was the cause of the tree's wobbling: she was slinking slowly towards him, her large cat eyes locked on him like any feline hunting down her prey.

 

“Go back! You'll make the tree tip!” Inuyasha called out, his voice clearly afraid: it had a quiver it in and his throat cracked. Weak half-breed.

 

Miyuki froze for a moment. She looked at him then back over her shoulder, judging the balance of the tree and its anchor of roots. Her brow scrunched in worry, but then she continued to the inu hanyou, moving with more care.

 

Inuyasha felt his fingers began to slip.

 

His hands were sweating; he was afraid for both himself and Miyuki. Somehow the thought of the little neko being harmed made him worry even more. When he had first seen her coming at him, he had been afraid she was another slave trying to kill off her master. But she was putting her life in danger for his own: he didn't get that kind of hate vibe coming off her. No, she was trying to help him.

 

It didn't really matter what happened to him, but if she fell…

 

“Miyuki! Go back! I'm not worth it!”

 

This time, she did not even pause. Instead, she continued inching closer, her pointy kitten fangs protruding out from under her upper lip as she bit down in concentration. Her cat claws gave her a good grip with every step she took.

 

Kagome was only a few feet away from Inuyasha when it happened.

 

Without warning, there was a snapping sound and then Inuyasha felt himself falling, falling down the ravine.

 

They both were going to die, he knew it.

 

He smashed into a rock below the cliff's face as he fell, seeing stars. Then with a jerk, the hanyou found himself hanging once again, only further down the ravine's wall. Looking up, he found that during their spill, he had lost his hold on the branch, but somehow was being held.

 

Inuyasha found his eyes drawn to neko who was holding onto the cuff of her sleeve by her teeth. The tree had tumbled down, its roots catching in the web of undergrowth of veins and roots that spilled off the cliff's edge. The two hanyous were hanging on by a thread, an extremely thin thread.

 

 

When the branch had snapped, Kagome had leaped forward with all her might and caught what of Inuyasha she could while still holding on herself—it happened to be his sleeve with her teeth. Now she was wondering how she was going to bring them both up: her claws were dug deeply in the bark, her feet caught on the under crooks of several branches.

 

As she thought, her hold slipped a bit. Whatever she was going to do, Kagome knew she had to act soon.

 

She forced her miko energy into her claws. The very wood she was holding began to glow from the power Kagome was putting into her hold. She could not slip, they had to move up, but first she needed to get a better grip on Inuyasha.

 

Working quickly, she carefully released her hold on the tree and shaking slid the paw down to Inuyasha, motioning for him to give her his hand. Dumbly, the hanyou obeyed her silent command. With her help, he was able to get a grasp on the branches as Kagome began lugging his arm to her, backing up as best she could as she pulled half of him with her strong neko teeth like any other cat would drag a caught fish out of water.

 

Once Inuyasha was far enough up to get a foothold, he scooped the neko up around the waist and sprung up off the fallen tree. Moments after they had landed on the ground, the entire thing toppled the rest of the way down into the ravine.

 

After the dust has settled, Inuyasha took stock of his surroundings. He was crouching at the cliff's edge, sucking in deep, dirt-filled breaths. In his arms was huddled the tiny neko hanyou, a bit shaken, but her big eyes opened wide. Her ears gave an exploratory swivel just as Inuyasha did the same.

 

“Are you all right?” Inuyasha asked, forgetting for a moment that his companion did not speak. He was surprised to find himself disappointed when she didn't answer.

 

Or at least she didn't answer in words.

 

The sound of the inu hanyou's voice broke her from her daze. Instantly, Kagome began squirming violently in his arms, trying to free herself from his hold. At her fit's outset, Inuyasha couldn't understand her actions, but as he watched her—her eyes frightened more than before, her ears flattened and scent suffocating with panic—he knew she did not like being in his embrace.

 

I wish she could trust me more…maybe with time?

 

Suddenly, Miyuki began glowing pink. Inuyasha watched in awe as the rose glimmer bleed out from her abdomen and spread all over her, as if she had been dunked into a tank of raspberry Jell-O. Hot—really, really hot raspberry Jell-O.

 

Inuyasha released her with a jerk, not wanting her to hurt herself or him.

 

The heat was still burning him. He had never been purified, living so deep in youkai territory. There had never been the opportunity since he had never come across a miko before, but he still recognized the surge of spiritual energy for what it was.

 

But she's a hanyou. How could a hanyou have miko powers? She would have killed herself!

 

A rustle of clothing behind him brought Inuyasha back to the present. The sound had been no more than a leaf landing on grass, and that narrowed down the possibilities of who it could be to only a few beings.

 

And Inuyasha was fairly sure who it was. Only one person would bother him out in the forest without a friendly greeting: Sesshomaru.

 

“So it is true,” he heard his older half brother growl. Turning to face the rather androgynous youkai, Inuyasha snarled. “The mutt has found a mutt.”

 

Impulsively Inuyasha threw himself between his brother and Miyuki. The little neko was still cowered on the ground, but Inuyasha could tell that she was aware of their visitor.

 

Please don't let Sesshomaru harm her.

 

 

To be continued…(Always wanted to write that)