InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ Naraku's Twisted Tale ( Chapter 5 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 09.15.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 305 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 09.15.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 305 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
Naraku’s Twisted Tale
__________________________________________________________________ ______
“He is an inu hanyou. His name… is Inuyasha.”
“Inu-yasha?” she repeated quietly.
“Yes.” he murmured quietly.
Izanami was quiet for a moment. “Why… What does he have against you? You seem to be such a gentle person; I cannot imagine why he would detest you so.”
A bitter chuckle escaped Naraku’s lips. “It is silly really. It all began fifty years ago as a romantic rivalry. We each desired the attentions of a young miko, a woman by the name of Kikyou.”
A small gasp escaped her and she fisted a hand over her chest. Irrationally, the young priestess felt a stab of jealously at the idea of Naraku vying for the attentions of another female. Her glistening eyes fixed on his face, Izanami impatiently waited for him to continue speaking.
“Kikyou’s beauty was exemplary and her spiritual power was immense. I fell in love with her long ago but I was reluctant to approach her for fear of rejection. I do not know how long I admired her from afar, but finally I gathered my nerves decided to approach the young maiden. By the time I did, I discovered that another suitor had approached her first, the inu hanyou called Inuyasha.
“She informed me that she had not yet accepted his proposal for courtship and so I persisted in my attempts to woo her. I visited her often and in time she began to respond. I was certain that she would soon accept me as her suitor, but unfortunately it was no to be. One fall evening after a long visit with the priestess I was making the return trip to my home village. It was at that time I was approached by the hanyou, Inuyasha.
“He suddenly sprang from a nearby forest, leaping into my path. He threatened me, telling me to stay away from the miko and suggested that I was only pursuing her in order to take possession of the Shikon jewel. He went on to say that the jewel was his and that he would see us both dead before I got my hands on it. At the time I had never heard of the Shikon jewel and had no idea what he was talking about. However, out of fear for her safety I stayed away.
“For two long weeks, I stayed away from her and it tore me apart inside. But then…” he trailed off, looking away from her as if in shame. He was quiet for several moments, his breathing becoming slightly erratic. Taking a deep shaky breath he finally continued, “You must understand that I loved her dearly. I never intended to endanger her. I decided to go back to her. I wished to take her as my wife and so I went to see her again. Out of curiosity, I asked her what the Shikon jewel was and she told me that it was a powerful and ancient relic whose care had been entrusted to her. When she asked me how I knew of it, I told her that Inuyasha mentioned it but I did not inform her of the threats he had made. It was not my wish to slander his name while he was not present to defend himself.
“Initially she had been reluctant, but since I already knew of it, she went on to describe the jewel’s history and its magnificent powers. It was a secret she had kept for many years because of its ability to strengthen demons and corrupt humans. I then understood the probable reason Inuyasha sought to attain the jewel. Kikyou said that the Shikon jewel’s power was such that it could transform a half demon into a full demon.
“I would later discover that it was Inuyasha’s plan all along to get close to the young maiden and deceive her into surrendering the jewel to him. It was his desire to become a full demon.” He took a deep breath looking at her with sad, mournful eyes before he continued. “Kikyou was tired. She was tired of having to look after the jewel. She had grown weary of the heavy responsibility of keeping it pure and protecting it from the hands of evil.” He paused again, and gave her a long look; a look that suggested that he was conflicted with himself, as to whether or not to continue.
Taking a deep breath, he turned away from her before pressing on, “I am a hanyou.” he said quietly. “Did you know that?”
“Well… yes.” she answered simply. “Though your appearance is that of an ordinary human, I can sense it in your aura. I know that in most places hanyou are looked down upon for their mixed blood, but where I am from such things are of no consequence. Humans, demons and hanyou are treated as equals.”
“So you are not offended that I am a hanyou?” he asked hopefully.
“Of course not! Why I myself…!” her words trailed off in a gasp, the tempo of her heart accelerating in an instant. The hand which had so casually been resting upon her knee was now blanketed with the warm masculine appendage of the male before her. Her breath seemingly trapped in her lungs, the miko stared in awe, uncertain of what to say or do. For a moment time seemed to stand still, but the miko was soon retrieved from the faint trance in which she had fallen when Naraku began to speak again.
“I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that. You cannot imagine the prejudice I have endured because of my mixed blood.” He slowly slid his hand from hers, taking the extra time to allow his fingertips to drag lazily across the back of her hand and over her knuckles. He barely resisted the urge to smirk when he heard the slight gasp from her and watched as tiny little bumps erupted across her skin.
The miko’s throat was now abnormally dry and it took her a few seconds to regain her wits after the seemingly innocent touch. When he began to speak again her hazy eyes slowly refocused on his face.
“Kikyou and I eventually entered a pact. I wished to be together with her and she wished to be rid of the responsibility of the Shikon jewel. She decided that we might be able to purify the jewel by using it to rid me of my demonic blood and transform me into an ordinary human. I was so enamored with her that I was willing to do whatever it took for us to be together and I immediately agreed.
“Somehow, Inuyasha discovered our plans. On the day we were to meet to purify the jewel he managed to get to her first. He demanded that she relinquish the jewel or he would slay her where she stood. She of course had refused and he made good on his threat. He inflicted mortal injury upon her and absconded with the jewel. But… Kikyou was strong of body and of will; and in her dying moments she pursued him. She managed to catch up to him and was able to seal him to a tree using her sacred arrows.
“When I arrived at our designated meeting place I was alarmed to find a trail of blood. The scent told me that it was hers and my heart froze with dread. I was so enraged and so terrified that I could hardly breathe. I followed her trail hoping that her injuries were not too severe. But I knew… I knew she would not survive. The amount of blood she left behind was far too much and though I thought to deny it, I knew she would die. …And she did.
“By the time I arrived she had already drawn her final breath. She had sealed Inuyasha to the tree and then died a short time after. Her final request to her family was that the jewel be burned with her body so that she would take it into the afterlife with her and prevent it from falling into the hands of evil again. I was crushed. It was difficult enough loosing her but to make matters worse I was even prevented from keeping the jewel. I would like to have taken possession of it for sentimental purposes; something to remember her by.
“By some miraculous twist of fate, another miko was able to bring the Shikon jewel back to this world. To this day I do not know the circumstances that allowed this to happen; but in addition, this same miko broke the seal that had bound Inuyasha unleashing him once again. The foolish girl then shattered the jewel into Kami knows how many pieces. I do not know what lies Inuyasha may have told the girl, but somehow he managed to befriend her and she now aids him in recovering the jewel shards.
“Since he has awakened, Inuyasha has come after me many times in a bid to end my life. He blames me for the entire incident and has repeatedly insisted that if I had left Kikyou be, he would have taken possession of the jewel fifty years ago and he would not have been forced to kill her.”
Moving slowly, Naraku’s hands went to his hakama. Izanami’s eyes widened slightly and she initially thought to look away but could not will herself to do so. Reaching into a hidden compartment of his clothing Naraku pulled out a small semi round item. Surrounded by energy she recognized as his, the miko realized that whatever he was holding was encased in a barrier. Naraku flattened his palm so that she was able to see the item and with a wave of his free hand the barrier fell away.
“This is the Shikon jewel.” he told her. “Well, at least most of it. It is important that I keep a barrier over it as it attracts power hungry demons. Ever since I discovered that the jewel had resurfaced I have been collecting the shards. It is all I have left of Kikyou and though I am not a miko, I wish to protect it; to take up where she left off since it was my fault that she was killed. It is the least I can do to collect the shards and spend the rest of my life protecting the jewel.”
A rush of air escaped the woman before him. “You must not say such ridiculous things!” she chided as he replaced his barrier over the jewel. “You cannot blame yourself for what that monster did to her!” The young miko’s cheeks were flush with indignation as she thought on all that he had said.
Naraku carefully placed the jewel back in its hiding place before turning back to her, a melancholic smile touching his lips. “I truly wish I could believe that. If I had left her be as Inuyasha warned, she would not have been killed. It is all my fault.”
“No!” she said sternly, this time covering his hand with hers in the instinctive desire to provide comfort. “It is not your fault. You loved her, why should you be forced to stay away from someone you love? And especially for such a selfish reason? Please do not blame yourself. It is Inuyasha’s fault!”
He looked at her then, his expression clearing minutely. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes, of course I think so! Do you mean that you have been carrying this burden with you for fifty years?!”
He responded with a slight nod.
“I am so sorry you have endured such heartache, I wish there was something I could do.”
A moment of silence passed between them before Naraku gave his calculating response, “Perhaps… perhaps there is.”
____________________________________________________________ ____________
Anxiously chewing on the inside of her lip, Kagome shot a nervous glace over to Inuyasha.The scowl he wore together with his brusque pace were enough to tell her that he was still sulking. Considering her ability to communicate effectively with him at the moment, Kagome decided to let him be.
Since there were no new leads on Naraku’s whereabouts, they were now heading back to Kaede’s village. Besides, Sango had been hinting around about wanting to see Kohaku. Since the jewel shard had been removed from his neck nearly a year and a half ago, the boy had been returned to his normal state. Well, as normal as one could expect for what he had been through. It was infrequent, but he would occasionally return to Kaede’s village to visit his sister.
Mostly preferring his own company over anyone else’s, the boy still had a difficult time facing his past and understanding that the acts he committed under Naraku’s influence were not his own. He had since resumed the profession of slaying rogue demons and had begun seeking information on the whereabouts of Naraku. It had been rather unexpected that they were able to save him. It had been over a year and a half ago and the evil hanyou had forced the boy to wipe out an entire village to collect the jewel shard the local priestess was attempting to protect. Somehow, Naraku’s hold on him began to slip and Kohaku took the opportunity to try and free his mind. In his struggle to escape Naraku’s suggestions the boy grew dangerously weak and eventually blacked out. When they found him, every resident of the tiny village had already been slaughtered, including the elderly priestess who had tried to protect the shard. He had been lying on the ground covered in blood and dirt, a single tainted jewel shard clutched in his hand.
It was then that knew they had to remove the jewel shard from his neck. It had been a difficult decision but Sango had been the one to make the call. She had said that even if he died it would be better than him remaining under Naraku’s influence.
So, with his sister’s permission Kagome had removed the jewel. Tears streaming down her face, the miko remembered feeling so bad for him. She had wanted him to survive; to have a second chance at the life that was stolen from him. As her trembling fingers pulled the shard away, she had felt an overwhelming wave of dizziness as vast amounts of power were drawn from her body. At the time she hadn’t been as familiar with her powers as she was presently, but now she realized that she had released healing powers into him as she removed the jewel.
When he awakened the boy had gone into a hysterical fit as all of his memories returned to him in a painful rush. He had seen all of the people he had killed, the villagers, his family and the blood that covered his own hands and weapons. Kohaku had begun crying uncontrollably and ran off in a crazed fit. Sango was quick to follow, but somehow he managed to get away taking most of his sister’s already shattered heart with him.
It was months later when he retuned to Kaede’s village and he and Sango had a chance to talk. She found out that he was doing better and that he had run off simply because he couldn’t face her knowing the things that he had done. She of course had explained that it was not his fault. So now, during their downtimes they would often return to the elder miko’s village and sometimes the young demon slayer would stop by for a visit.
These days, down time was much more frequent since all of the jewels shards were accounted for. Unfortunately, Naraku still had most of it while they just had a few shards. But, with the shard hunting part of their mission over, they just needed to find and destroy Naraku.
They spent their time chasing false leads and seeking out any information that might lead to him. Discovering his castle had been a major break through. Too bad he wasn’t actually there.
Kagome sighed. As much as she wanted to defeat the evil half-demon, she was unsure what would happen once they did. Would they even be able to defeat him? Would they all survive? Even without the completed jewel Naraku was immensely powerful. And then there was the matter of the well. Would it close off, trapping her on one side or the other? And what about…? Her mind trailed off as she stole a quick glance at Inuyasha. Sighing again, the miko’s eyes turned to the ground to watch the short grass pass beneath her feet.
She really should apologize for yelling at him. There wasn’t any evidence that he had done anything wrong. She was just always so irritable when he went off to be alone with Kikyou. It was something she had considered before, but maybe… maybe she should start preparing herself for the very real possibility that they would not be together once this was all over with. There were times when she wasn’t even sure she still wanted that. She knew she loved him, but was she still in love with him? She didn’t really know. All she knew for sure was that she always wanted him to be a part of her life.
Maybe in time, her answers would come…
___________________________________________________________ _____________
It had been a long, repressively quiet trip back to the village but they had finally made it back. The sun was setting, but the air was still relatively warm, so they decided to stay outside. Everyone except for Sango, who had immediately gone to Kaede’s hut to see if she had seen Kohaku. Inuyasha was off somewhere brooding while Miroku went to the outskirts of the village to keep an eye on Shippou and Kirara who were playing in one of the small grassy fields.
As for Kagome, she was sitting beneath the sacred tree sifting through her troubled thoughts.
“You still mad at me?” a gruff voice spoke from behind her.
“No.” she answered easily.
The hanyou noted that despite his attempt to do so, he had been unable to catch the priestess unawares. Her ability to sense auras in the past had been inconsistent, sometimes allowing her to detect the faintest traces of youki, and other times leaving her completely in the dark.
“Guess I can’t sneak up on you anymore.” he said quietly.
“Nah, I sensed you long before you said anything.”
“Humph!” he snorted, “I guess some of that training of yours must have worked after all.” he said as he circled around to face her. He folded his arms into his sleeves and lowered himself to the ground a short distance away from her.
Kagome attempted smile to smile but failed miserably. “I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.”
“You should be! I didn’t do nothing wrong! I was just looking for leads on Naraku. We’ve been searching for that bastard for months and we haven’t found so much as a hint as to where he is!”
Kagome sighed. “I know that Inuyasha. I know, and I’m sorry okay.”
“Humph!” he huffed again and turned away from her. Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, he saw her looking down at a dead patch of grass and tapping her fingers against her knee. “So why’d you yell at me in the first place?” he asked in a softer tone.
Kagome’s lips twisted wryly. “I don’t know. It’s just so… hard sometimes…” she trailed off.
She was getting too old for this! Sometimes she felt like she needed to fight for the one she loved and other times she felt it was best to just cut her losses and let it go. How could a person have such conflicting desires? Maybe she just didn’t want to be alone. Her friends in her time were all dating and seemingly happy. Heck, Eri was even engaged to be married! Sango had Miroku and if Inuyasha really was still in love with Kikyou that would leave her all alone.
‘I’m so tired of this!’ she grumbled mentally. If only she were brave enough to throw caution to the wind and ask him how he felt. If he wasn’t in love with Kikyou, then they might have a future together. But if he was… well, at least she could move on with her life. If nothing else, she’d have some semblance of direction.
Taking a deep breath and gathering her nerves the miko turned back to her companion.Inuyasha--” she began, but immediately trailed off when a powerful demonic aura washed over her. Looking off to her right, the miko’s slight frame succumbed to a quaking shudder as its raw intensity spilled into their tiny clearing.
Inuyasha was on his feet in an instant whirling around to face the threat. He drew his sword just as the demon emerged from the nearby woods. The trees seemed to part to allow his passage and soon the dwindling sunshine spilled over his statuesque form.
“What the hell are you doing here Sesshoumaru?”
Alright, another chapter edited! For those of you who have read this story before, I will inform you that the entire 41 chapters are available on Dokuga. I am working on chapter 42 right now and should be finished in a day or two.
As far as the other sites I post to, I will continue to post the chapters as I edit them. I plan to edit up to chapter 20 or so, and then I will post the rest of the story.
Naraku’s Twisted Tale
__________________________________________________________________ ______
“He is an inu hanyou. His name… is Inuyasha.”
“Inu-yasha?” she repeated quietly.
“Yes.” he murmured quietly.
Izanami was quiet for a moment. “Why… What does he have against you? You seem to be such a gentle person; I cannot imagine why he would detest you so.”
A bitter chuckle escaped Naraku’s lips. “It is silly really. It all began fifty years ago as a romantic rivalry. We each desired the attentions of a young miko, a woman by the name of Kikyou.”
A small gasp escaped her and she fisted a hand over her chest. Irrationally, the young priestess felt a stab of jealously at the idea of Naraku vying for the attentions of another female. Her glistening eyes fixed on his face, Izanami impatiently waited for him to continue speaking.
“Kikyou’s beauty was exemplary and her spiritual power was immense. I fell in love with her long ago but I was reluctant to approach her for fear of rejection. I do not know how long I admired her from afar, but finally I gathered my nerves decided to approach the young maiden. By the time I did, I discovered that another suitor had approached her first, the inu hanyou called Inuyasha.
“She informed me that she had not yet accepted his proposal for courtship and so I persisted in my attempts to woo her. I visited her often and in time she began to respond. I was certain that she would soon accept me as her suitor, but unfortunately it was no to be. One fall evening after a long visit with the priestess I was making the return trip to my home village. It was at that time I was approached by the hanyou, Inuyasha.
“He suddenly sprang from a nearby forest, leaping into my path. He threatened me, telling me to stay away from the miko and suggested that I was only pursuing her in order to take possession of the Shikon jewel. He went on to say that the jewel was his and that he would see us both dead before I got my hands on it. At the time I had never heard of the Shikon jewel and had no idea what he was talking about. However, out of fear for her safety I stayed away.
“For two long weeks, I stayed away from her and it tore me apart inside. But then…” he trailed off, looking away from her as if in shame. He was quiet for several moments, his breathing becoming slightly erratic. Taking a deep shaky breath he finally continued, “You must understand that I loved her dearly. I never intended to endanger her. I decided to go back to her. I wished to take her as my wife and so I went to see her again. Out of curiosity, I asked her what the Shikon jewel was and she told me that it was a powerful and ancient relic whose care had been entrusted to her. When she asked me how I knew of it, I told her that Inuyasha mentioned it but I did not inform her of the threats he had made. It was not my wish to slander his name while he was not present to defend himself.
“Initially she had been reluctant, but since I already knew of it, she went on to describe the jewel’s history and its magnificent powers. It was a secret she had kept for many years because of its ability to strengthen demons and corrupt humans. I then understood the probable reason Inuyasha sought to attain the jewel. Kikyou said that the Shikon jewel’s power was such that it could transform a half demon into a full demon.
“I would later discover that it was Inuyasha’s plan all along to get close to the young maiden and deceive her into surrendering the jewel to him. It was his desire to become a full demon.” He took a deep breath looking at her with sad, mournful eyes before he continued. “Kikyou was tired. She was tired of having to look after the jewel. She had grown weary of the heavy responsibility of keeping it pure and protecting it from the hands of evil.” He paused again, and gave her a long look; a look that suggested that he was conflicted with himself, as to whether or not to continue.
Taking a deep breath, he turned away from her before pressing on, “I am a hanyou.” he said quietly. “Did you know that?”
“Well… yes.” she answered simply. “Though your appearance is that of an ordinary human, I can sense it in your aura. I know that in most places hanyou are looked down upon for their mixed blood, but where I am from such things are of no consequence. Humans, demons and hanyou are treated as equals.”
“So you are not offended that I am a hanyou?” he asked hopefully.
“Of course not! Why I myself…!” her words trailed off in a gasp, the tempo of her heart accelerating in an instant. The hand which had so casually been resting upon her knee was now blanketed with the warm masculine appendage of the male before her. Her breath seemingly trapped in her lungs, the miko stared in awe, uncertain of what to say or do. For a moment time seemed to stand still, but the miko was soon retrieved from the faint trance in which she had fallen when Naraku began to speak again.
“I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that. You cannot imagine the prejudice I have endured because of my mixed blood.” He slowly slid his hand from hers, taking the extra time to allow his fingertips to drag lazily across the back of her hand and over her knuckles. He barely resisted the urge to smirk when he heard the slight gasp from her and watched as tiny little bumps erupted across her skin.
The miko’s throat was now abnormally dry and it took her a few seconds to regain her wits after the seemingly innocent touch. When he began to speak again her hazy eyes slowly refocused on his face.
“Kikyou and I eventually entered a pact. I wished to be together with her and she wished to be rid of the responsibility of the Shikon jewel. She decided that we might be able to purify the jewel by using it to rid me of my demonic blood and transform me into an ordinary human. I was so enamored with her that I was willing to do whatever it took for us to be together and I immediately agreed.
“Somehow, Inuyasha discovered our plans. On the day we were to meet to purify the jewel he managed to get to her first. He demanded that she relinquish the jewel or he would slay her where she stood. She of course had refused and he made good on his threat. He inflicted mortal injury upon her and absconded with the jewel. But… Kikyou was strong of body and of will; and in her dying moments she pursued him. She managed to catch up to him and was able to seal him to a tree using her sacred arrows.
“When I arrived at our designated meeting place I was alarmed to find a trail of blood. The scent told me that it was hers and my heart froze with dread. I was so enraged and so terrified that I could hardly breathe. I followed her trail hoping that her injuries were not too severe. But I knew… I knew she would not survive. The amount of blood she left behind was far too much and though I thought to deny it, I knew she would die. …And she did.
“By the time I arrived she had already drawn her final breath. She had sealed Inuyasha to the tree and then died a short time after. Her final request to her family was that the jewel be burned with her body so that she would take it into the afterlife with her and prevent it from falling into the hands of evil again. I was crushed. It was difficult enough loosing her but to make matters worse I was even prevented from keeping the jewel. I would like to have taken possession of it for sentimental purposes; something to remember her by.
“By some miraculous twist of fate, another miko was able to bring the Shikon jewel back to this world. To this day I do not know the circumstances that allowed this to happen; but in addition, this same miko broke the seal that had bound Inuyasha unleashing him once again. The foolish girl then shattered the jewel into Kami knows how many pieces. I do not know what lies Inuyasha may have told the girl, but somehow he managed to befriend her and she now aids him in recovering the jewel shards.
“Since he has awakened, Inuyasha has come after me many times in a bid to end my life. He blames me for the entire incident and has repeatedly insisted that if I had left Kikyou be, he would have taken possession of the jewel fifty years ago and he would not have been forced to kill her.”
Moving slowly, Naraku’s hands went to his hakama. Izanami’s eyes widened slightly and she initially thought to look away but could not will herself to do so. Reaching into a hidden compartment of his clothing Naraku pulled out a small semi round item. Surrounded by energy she recognized as his, the miko realized that whatever he was holding was encased in a barrier. Naraku flattened his palm so that she was able to see the item and with a wave of his free hand the barrier fell away.
“This is the Shikon jewel.” he told her. “Well, at least most of it. It is important that I keep a barrier over it as it attracts power hungry demons. Ever since I discovered that the jewel had resurfaced I have been collecting the shards. It is all I have left of Kikyou and though I am not a miko, I wish to protect it; to take up where she left off since it was my fault that she was killed. It is the least I can do to collect the shards and spend the rest of my life protecting the jewel.”
A rush of air escaped the woman before him. “You must not say such ridiculous things!” she chided as he replaced his barrier over the jewel. “You cannot blame yourself for what that monster did to her!” The young miko’s cheeks were flush with indignation as she thought on all that he had said.
Naraku carefully placed the jewel back in its hiding place before turning back to her, a melancholic smile touching his lips. “I truly wish I could believe that. If I had left her be as Inuyasha warned, she would not have been killed. It is all my fault.”
“No!” she said sternly, this time covering his hand with hers in the instinctive desire to provide comfort. “It is not your fault. You loved her, why should you be forced to stay away from someone you love? And especially for such a selfish reason? Please do not blame yourself. It is Inuyasha’s fault!”
He looked at her then, his expression clearing minutely. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes, of course I think so! Do you mean that you have been carrying this burden with you for fifty years?!”
He responded with a slight nod.
“I am so sorry you have endured such heartache, I wish there was something I could do.”
A moment of silence passed between them before Naraku gave his calculating response, “Perhaps… perhaps there is.”
____________________________________________________________ ____________
Anxiously chewing on the inside of her lip, Kagome shot a nervous glace over to Inuyasha.The scowl he wore together with his brusque pace were enough to tell her that he was still sulking. Considering her ability to communicate effectively with him at the moment, Kagome decided to let him be.
Since there were no new leads on Naraku’s whereabouts, they were now heading back to Kaede’s village. Besides, Sango had been hinting around about wanting to see Kohaku. Since the jewel shard had been removed from his neck nearly a year and a half ago, the boy had been returned to his normal state. Well, as normal as one could expect for what he had been through. It was infrequent, but he would occasionally return to Kaede’s village to visit his sister.
Mostly preferring his own company over anyone else’s, the boy still had a difficult time facing his past and understanding that the acts he committed under Naraku’s influence were not his own. He had since resumed the profession of slaying rogue demons and had begun seeking information on the whereabouts of Naraku. It had been rather unexpected that they were able to save him. It had been over a year and a half ago and the evil hanyou had forced the boy to wipe out an entire village to collect the jewel shard the local priestess was attempting to protect. Somehow, Naraku’s hold on him began to slip and Kohaku took the opportunity to try and free his mind. In his struggle to escape Naraku’s suggestions the boy grew dangerously weak and eventually blacked out. When they found him, every resident of the tiny village had already been slaughtered, including the elderly priestess who had tried to protect the shard. He had been lying on the ground covered in blood and dirt, a single tainted jewel shard clutched in his hand.
It was then that knew they had to remove the jewel shard from his neck. It had been a difficult decision but Sango had been the one to make the call. She had said that even if he died it would be better than him remaining under Naraku’s influence.
So, with his sister’s permission Kagome had removed the jewel. Tears streaming down her face, the miko remembered feeling so bad for him. She had wanted him to survive; to have a second chance at the life that was stolen from him. As her trembling fingers pulled the shard away, she had felt an overwhelming wave of dizziness as vast amounts of power were drawn from her body. At the time she hadn’t been as familiar with her powers as she was presently, but now she realized that she had released healing powers into him as she removed the jewel.
When he awakened the boy had gone into a hysterical fit as all of his memories returned to him in a painful rush. He had seen all of the people he had killed, the villagers, his family and the blood that covered his own hands and weapons. Kohaku had begun crying uncontrollably and ran off in a crazed fit. Sango was quick to follow, but somehow he managed to get away taking most of his sister’s already shattered heart with him.
It was months later when he retuned to Kaede’s village and he and Sango had a chance to talk. She found out that he was doing better and that he had run off simply because he couldn’t face her knowing the things that he had done. She of course had explained that it was not his fault. So now, during their downtimes they would often return to the elder miko’s village and sometimes the young demon slayer would stop by for a visit.
These days, down time was much more frequent since all of the jewels shards were accounted for. Unfortunately, Naraku still had most of it while they just had a few shards. But, with the shard hunting part of their mission over, they just needed to find and destroy Naraku.
They spent their time chasing false leads and seeking out any information that might lead to him. Discovering his castle had been a major break through. Too bad he wasn’t actually there.
Kagome sighed. As much as she wanted to defeat the evil half-demon, she was unsure what would happen once they did. Would they even be able to defeat him? Would they all survive? Even without the completed jewel Naraku was immensely powerful. And then there was the matter of the well. Would it close off, trapping her on one side or the other? And what about…? Her mind trailed off as she stole a quick glance at Inuyasha. Sighing again, the miko’s eyes turned to the ground to watch the short grass pass beneath her feet.
She really should apologize for yelling at him. There wasn’t any evidence that he had done anything wrong. She was just always so irritable when he went off to be alone with Kikyou. It was something she had considered before, but maybe… maybe she should start preparing herself for the very real possibility that they would not be together once this was all over with. There were times when she wasn’t even sure she still wanted that. She knew she loved him, but was she still in love with him? She didn’t really know. All she knew for sure was that she always wanted him to be a part of her life.
Maybe in time, her answers would come…
___________________________________________________________ _____________
It had been a long, repressively quiet trip back to the village but they had finally made it back. The sun was setting, but the air was still relatively warm, so they decided to stay outside. Everyone except for Sango, who had immediately gone to Kaede’s hut to see if she had seen Kohaku. Inuyasha was off somewhere brooding while Miroku went to the outskirts of the village to keep an eye on Shippou and Kirara who were playing in one of the small grassy fields.
As for Kagome, she was sitting beneath the sacred tree sifting through her troubled thoughts.
“You still mad at me?” a gruff voice spoke from behind her.
“No.” she answered easily.
The hanyou noted that despite his attempt to do so, he had been unable to catch the priestess unawares. Her ability to sense auras in the past had been inconsistent, sometimes allowing her to detect the faintest traces of youki, and other times leaving her completely in the dark.
“Guess I can’t sneak up on you anymore.” he said quietly.
“Nah, I sensed you long before you said anything.”
“Humph!” he snorted, “I guess some of that training of yours must have worked after all.” he said as he circled around to face her. He folded his arms into his sleeves and lowered himself to the ground a short distance away from her.
Kagome attempted smile to smile but failed miserably. “I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.”
“You should be! I didn’t do nothing wrong! I was just looking for leads on Naraku. We’ve been searching for that bastard for months and we haven’t found so much as a hint as to where he is!”
Kagome sighed. “I know that Inuyasha. I know, and I’m sorry okay.”
“Humph!” he huffed again and turned away from her. Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, he saw her looking down at a dead patch of grass and tapping her fingers against her knee. “So why’d you yell at me in the first place?” he asked in a softer tone.
Kagome’s lips twisted wryly. “I don’t know. It’s just so… hard sometimes…” she trailed off.
She was getting too old for this! Sometimes she felt like she needed to fight for the one she loved and other times she felt it was best to just cut her losses and let it go. How could a person have such conflicting desires? Maybe she just didn’t want to be alone. Her friends in her time were all dating and seemingly happy. Heck, Eri was even engaged to be married! Sango had Miroku and if Inuyasha really was still in love with Kikyou that would leave her all alone.
‘I’m so tired of this!’ she grumbled mentally. If only she were brave enough to throw caution to the wind and ask him how he felt. If he wasn’t in love with Kikyou, then they might have a future together. But if he was… well, at least she could move on with her life. If nothing else, she’d have some semblance of direction.
Taking a deep breath and gathering her nerves the miko turned back to her companion.Inuyasha--” she began, but immediately trailed off when a powerful demonic aura washed over her. Looking off to her right, the miko’s slight frame succumbed to a quaking shudder as its raw intensity spilled into their tiny clearing.
Inuyasha was on his feet in an instant whirling around to face the threat. He drew his sword just as the demon emerged from the nearby woods. The trees seemed to part to allow his passage and soon the dwindling sunshine spilled over his statuesque form.
“What the hell are you doing here Sesshoumaru?”
Alright, another chapter edited! For those of you who have read this story before, I will inform you that the entire 41 chapters are available on Dokuga. I am working on chapter 42 right now and should be finished in a day or two.
As far as the other sites I post to, I will continue to post the chapters as I edit them. I plan to edit up to chapter 20 or so, and then I will post the rest of the story.