InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets of the Past ❯ The Truth Behind Strange Nightmares ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter 5: The Truth Behind Strange Nightmares

Sango walked along the path with an injured girl in her arms. She knew that it would probably be easier for Miroku to carry the girl, but she did not want the lecher to fondle her.
The girl had been bitten by a lu-nat. the healers of the village refused to help the girl for fear the disease would spread to them. Sango Knew that lu-nats could create plagues, but the illness this girl sustained could not be spread by trying to heal her.
An old woman had told them of a hermit with miko powers that lived in Tomi Forest. Sango agreed to take the girl to the hermit. They could meet up with Kagome and Inuyasha later. This girl's need was much more urgent.
"How much further, my feet hurt." Shippo whined.
"Not too much, I think. The old woman said we would be close when we reached a fork in the path. I can see the other path off to the left. We should reach the fork shortly."
"Good. Kiara is tired too." Shippo added.
"At least the view is nice," Miroku said as he slowly inched closer behind Sango.
"Shippo, will you claw Miroku for me if he gets too close?"
Shippo answered with a giggle as Miroku settled back to his former pace.

Slowly, Inuyasha's nerves began to calm. He sat up. Flashes of the memory of his mother being swallowed by the spider demon ran through his mind.
"I am sorry, Inuyasha, but, I felt you deserved to know the truth. You are a good person. It is better that the past be told, then have it flash in front of you. It often does, during the most inopportune time."
"I am sorry I yelled at you, Murasaki." Kagome said quietly.
"It's alright. Why don't you adjust the way you are sitting so Inuyasha can lay his head in your lap? I can have Nintashiro pull out a futon for Inuyasha to rest on for a bit. I will go gather some herbs to help him steady himself. Is that alright with you, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha simply nodded and did as Murasaki had suggested.
Murasaki went to the door of the shrine and called out for Nintashiro. She was puzzled when she got no answer.
"Is there something wrong?" Kagome asked.
"No, Nintashiro is not in the shrine. He must be finishing up clearing the ragweed away from the bisan tree sapling we found last week. He was on his way back from doing so when he saw you yesterday."
"I will watch Inuyasha while you go look. He does not mind laying on my lap." Kagome replied
Murasaki made a sweet smile as she made her way in the direction of the bisan tree sapling.

"S S.. Sango."
"What's the matter, Shippo?"
"I smell youkai. It smells kind of like Sesshomaru around here." Shippo said as they passed the fork in the path.
"The old woman did say that this forest was full of demons, that is why the villagers rarely travel this way." Miroku said.
"You're right, Miroku. We should find the shrine the old woman spoke of. I do not relish the thought of fighting while this girl's life is already in danger."
They quickened their pace along the path.
About fifteen minutes later, they saw Kagome sitting on the grass with Inuyasha's head in her lap.
"Kagome! We had not expected to see you here in the forest." Miroku said.
Shippo ran to Inuyasha. He tried to kick his head off of Kagome's lap, but she stopped the fox demon.
"Shippo, be nice. Inuyasha is not feeling well. You can sit on my lap later."
"Kagome, where is the hermit who lives here?" Sango asked, seeing the shrine, "This girl needs her help."
"Oh, Murasaki. She has gone off to look for Nintashiro. What is the matter with that girl?"
"She was bitten by a lu-nat."
"Oh, I know what to do. Murasaki just taught me." Kagome said as she slowly nudged Inuyasha off of her lap.
She ran into the shrine to get some herbs. Shippo ran after her, but halted.
"Shippo? What is the matter?"
"This is a demon's house! I smell it all over!"
"Feh," Inuyasha said, regaining some of his wits," Of course it is. Murasaki is my cousin."
Inuyasha picked up a small stone and threw it at Shippo.
"Your cousin?" both Miroku and Sango said in unison.
"Full demon?" Sango added.
"Yes, full demon. You don't have to worry about her. She's not like my other relative. She saved my life when I was little."
"And ," Kagome added as she stepped out of the shrine to administer help to the sick girl, "She knows more about Naraku's past than anyone else. Meeting her has proven to be a great help."
Sango and Miroku looked at each other.
"I will explain," Inuyasha said sullenly as he tried to repeat what Murasaki had told him earlier.

"Father, please! Look at me! I am telling the truth, " Nintashiro said as his sword snapped. He began clawing at Naraku.
The tendrils off of the Naraku doll became more numerous, pulling the youth towards him.
"let that boy go!" Sesshomaru said, as he pulled Toukijin and jumped in among the numerous tendrils.
"This doll is much stronger than the last one he sent against me," He thought.
Naraku saw Sesshomaru reading to jump. He lifted Nintashiro high into the air and whipped the tendrils holding him into a half circle. Toukijin severed the tendrils holding the boy, casing him to fly helplessly through the air.
Nintashiro hit the trunk of a tree. A sickening crack was heard before he fell to the ground.
"I let him go." Naraku chuckled evilly.
Sesshomaru hacked at the Naraku doll until only the torso was left.
"He, he," Naraku laughed softly, " I made you murder your only son," as the doll became nothing but dust.
Sesshomaru sheathed Toukijin and walked over to where the body of the boy had fallen. He rolled the body over. The boy's neck wobbled and his head settled at an odd angle as Sesshomaru adjusted it to examine the boy. The boy's heart still beat, but it was slowing. If the boy had not been a youkai, he would have already been dead.
The boy's face had the same marks as those on his own face. There was a crescent moon on the boy's forehead, but it was faint. He examined the ragged clothing the boy wore.
"Trying to pass a faint copy of me off as my own son? Naraku, you are clever, but not that clever." he said to himself as he walked away from the body.
"Sesshomaru samma!" Rin shouted as she ran into the meadow. She threw her arms around him.
"Have you been a good girl for Jaken, Rin?"
"Yes. And we met a big birdie and a nice lady on the way here!"
"Sesshomaru samma!" Jaken shouted and huffed as he caught up to Rin.
"What is this about a bird and a nice lady, Jaken?"
Jaken huffed a couple of more times to catch his breath. "Oh, Lord. We met a tengu in Tomi Forest, but that is not important. I have wonderful news! It is a miracle!"
"What are you babbling about, Jaken?"
"Lady Murasaki! I found her, Sesshomaru sama! She is alive!"
Sesshomaru whirled back around to face where the boy's body was lying. His mind went back to the night before the siege of the winter palace. He remembered he was having a nightmare that tuned into a dream of a wedding night with Murasaki. The dream was so vivid, that it etched itself permanently into his memory.
"Not a dream?," he murmured aloud, "the boy is about the right age," as he pulled Tensaiga from its sheath and touched it to the body of the boy.
The boy shifted and murmured out the word, 'father,' but remained unconscious. Sesshomaru picked up the sleeping youkai.
"Where?"
"Who is that, Sesshomaru sama?"
" I asked, where!? Jaken, take me to where Murasaki is, NOW!"

Murasaki picked up the discarded rake that had still been sitting in the middle of the path. She examined it for a moment. She walked to the spot where the bisan sapling was. The ragweed was completely clear of the young tree. Nintashiro was nowhere to be seen. She sat on the ground and pondered for a few moments.
"No! He wouldn't have! Oh no! he must have, have followed Jaken!" she said shakily as she bolted up. "Nintashiro!" She wailed at the top of her lungs. "Tomoaki! Where are you? Tomoaki!"
The tengu floated down from a nearby tree.
"What distresses you, Great Queen?"
"My son, Nintashiro is missing! I fear he has done something very dangerous! Go look for him, please!"
"I will look for the queen's son, the prince." Tomoaki said as he flew off.

Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Inuyasha jumped slightly when they heard Murasaki's scream.
Inuyasha quickly ran to where the scream had come from as Murasaki ran frantically towards him. He grabbed onto her arms and held her, to slow her down.
"Inuyasha! Its Nintashiro! He is missing! I think, I think!"
"Calm down! I can't help you if you don't."
"He has gone after Sesshomaru!"
"What!? "
"Let me go, Inuyasha! I need to find Nintashiro before Sesshomaru does!"
"Bakka! You can't fight my brother on your own."
"But if he harms Nintashiro before he knows"
"Come back to the shrine. My friends are there. We will help."

Sesshomaru carefully carried Nintashiro like a child as he slowly followed behind Jaken. Rin was sullen, and seemed jealous that Sesshomaru was carrying that boy and not her.
"Sesshomaru sama? Why are you walking so slowly? I thought you wanted to see Murasaki."
"I do, but I do not want to wake this boy. One of Naraku's dolls was in the meadow before you arrived. This boy tried to warn me."
"Oh, I see. And that is a youkai boy, not some human."
Jaken turned and took a hard look at the boy in Sesshomaru's arms.
"He looks much like you, Sesshomaru sama. Another relative, one that is youkai, not hanyou?"
"Perhaps, now get going."
"Yes Sesshomaru sama."
Sesshomaru was in no mood to be answering questions that he was not sure had answers.

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Inuyasha and Murasaki made their way back to the shrine. Kagome had treated the sick girl and lay her on a futon in the tree to rest.
"Murasaki, what is wrong?"
"Nintashiro has run off . " Inuyasha answered, "after Sesshomaru."
"I will prepare, " Sango said as she went behind some trees to put on her armor.
"Miroku, you stay here and look after the girl. Shippo you stay here to make sure Miroku does not fondle her."
"Kagome!"
"I mean it, Miroku. With Rin and Jaken with him, all we need to do is scare him off. As long as Nintashiro is alright."
"I am ready whenever everyone else is," Inuyasha said ad he pulled Tetsusaiga.
Their preparations were interrupted by the lonely sound of a flute.

When they reached the fork in the path, Sesshomaru told Jaken to stop. He set the boy down on the grass.
"This still could be a trap," He thought to himself, "There is only one way to make sure."
Sesshomaru carefully untied the cord that held the flute to his obi. He held it in his hands a moment. The temporary arm felt awkward trying to hold the flute the proper way. He adjusted the flute and played a couple of faint notes, to make sure it still functioned properly. He had not played the flute since the night of the siege, and then he had both of his arms. He hoped he could still play the tune correctly. He did not want to play badly in front of Jaken.
"Sesshomaru sama?"
"Quiet Jaken, I am checking something.

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