InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spellbound Destiny ❯ Chapter 5: The Forgotten Healer ( Chapter 5 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Elviria 
Revised. Fixed some spelling and grammatical errors and tweaked some sentence structures.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.01.2011 | Updated On: 12.13.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 7.6K | Visits: 471 | Status: Work In Progress
Revised. Fixed some spelling and grammatical errors and tweaked some sentence structures.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.01.2011 | Updated On: 12.13.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 7.6K | Visits: 471 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the mastermind. ^_^
Author's Note: I know my story is close to the original in many ways right now; I wanted it to be like that--reminiscent of the original story we all know and love. In the next few chapters, though, the differences will begin to show. Do not worry, this isn't a rehashing of the original storyline. There are many things that will not be happening and some new things I hope you all will enjoy. ^_^
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 5: The Forgotten Healer
Naraku sat in his private chambers, comfortable and relaxed. Only those who he wanted to find him could. It was perfect--his genius hiding spot. He hid his true base inside a portal deep within the Avaren Palace. This insured complete privacy. Upon a mere whim, he could create portals throughout the world to let someone in or out with out anyone the wiser. There was one set up in a location only known to him and his offspring, Kanna and Kagura, in fact. One that was hidden in plain sight but no one would ever think to look there.
A young woman stirred beside him, coming awake for the first time in the last week. She sat up slowly and placed a hand on her head. Naraku turned to her, a tray of steaming liquid by his side. “Do not move too quickly,” he said. “You suffered some deep wounds. Your body has only just healed.”
“Where am I? Who are you?” The young woman looked up at the stranger, disoriented and unable to remember anything. Her mind felt fuzzy, laden down with invisible wires. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it but it did no good.
“Here, drink this.” Naraku handed her the cup that sat beside him. She took it gratefully, and, thinking it was hot tea, gulped it down. The bitter taste startled her; it wasn't like any tea she had every had before. She coughed and sputtered and managed to drag some of the liquid down the wrong way.
“What is that?” she asked him, her mind numbing even more. She felt off, not completely right or there with the man mentally.
“Do not concern yourself with that. Just listen to my voice.” Naraku waited until she nodded slowly before continuing. “I found you wounded outside my castle. You told me your village had been attacked by a hanyou in red with long silver hair and inu ears. I've heard of him. His name is Inuyasha.”
The girl looked at him with glazed eyes, her mind accepting his lies. “I want you to find him and bring me back the young human girl that is with him. He kidnapped her from me.”
The girl nodded again. “Where can I find him?”
“He's at a village called Aniri. I'll take you close by. Wait until either the girl is alone or they leave the village. There is a young monk with them. I have something that will stop him for a time. Do not concern yourself with him.”
The girl looked up at him and accepted his orders. She felt as if she shouldn't reject them. As if something was desperately wrong but a foggy haze danced inside her mind. It made it difficult to think of anything other than the man's voice.
“Your clothes and weapons are next to you. You may leave whenever you are ready.”
She stood from her futon and gazed at her bandaged body. She remembered the wound on her back, the jagged cut along her arm, the various shallow cuts and bruises she had sustained from the fight. She could not tell what weapon had caused them, however; or who had given them to her. That part of her memory became too fuzzy for her to make out. It made her head ache horribly. Instead, she shied away from them and concentrated only on what the man told her. She dressed swiftly without a care of who saw her and placed her giant youkai bone boomerang, Hiraikotsu, gingerly on her back.
“I'm ready,” she said to Naraku. He inclined his head slightly and opened a portal that connected close to Aniri. Before she stepped through, he placed a bee hive in her hand. She looked down at it, puzzled, then her mind clouded over and an incessant voice drummed in her head to leave, to do as she was ordered. She turned without a word and left, not even caring that man never mentioned his name.
Naraku watched the portal close. He turned back to his original task and gazed with unseeing eyes across the room at the wall. Inside his head, he watched Kagome--through the eyes of one of his small youkai servants--as she went with an old woman to a hut.
Recollection stroked his mind. Kikyou's younger sister. He had forgotten all about her. He'd watched her for years after Kikyou's death, checking up on her to make sure she was no threat to him. He stopped his vigilance when she'd matured and the only truly powerful miko abilities she possessed were for healing. She could not heal him to death so he left her to her own devices. It was amazing to see that she still lived.
Though she could not harm him physically, she could teach Kagome all she knew about miko abilities. He should have dealt with her before, when she was a child, right after Kikyou's death. It was too late now. Hopefully she didn't remember him.
Naraku turned back to watching Kagome with hungry eyes. He wasn't sure where the Shikon no Tama would be in her body but he would find it. Once he grasped it in his hand, he could use her in any other way he pleased. Kikyou had rebuffed him time and again but this girl was different, more naïve. He could coax her into doing anything once he slithered into her mind--a taxing yet useful skill.
Naraku chuckled to himself, happy for the first time in ages. Yes, things were falling into place perfectly. The Shikon no Tama would be his, the girl would be his, the world would be his. All he had to do was wait a few more days. He could be a bit more patient.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha sat while his eyebrow twitched and a foot tapped the wooden boards in time with his finger on his leg. He was annoyed. They were sitting in Kaede's hut--for a hour now. Lunch was done. The clean up was done. Yet his two human companions just kept on chit-chatting with the old woman. None bothered to turn to him to see what information he wanted from Kaede.
“Oi, baba,” Inuyasha interrupted rudely. “We didn't come here to enjoy your company.”
The three humans became quiet. Kaede turned to him. “Inuyasha, you do not have to be rude. An old woman like me enjoys the company of anyone who wishes to stay here. We'll get to your pressing need soon.” Kaede turned back to Kagome and Miroku and finished up on her tale. She then turned and gave Inuyasha her full attention. “Well? What is it you wished to ask me?”
Inuyasha sat up straighter. Anger curled inside his stomach and made him feel snappy. “Your Kikyou's sister, you should know what happened to the Shikon no Tama.”
Kaede stared at him with her one good eye, looking for any indication that he was worthy of her knowledge. She grunted with a nod. For all his rudeness and forcefulness, Inuyasha would never use the jewel for evil. He may not be worthy of using its powers at all but he could protect it from those who wished to harm others with it.
“The Shikon no Tama was burned with Kikyou's body, as per her instructions. I do not know if it has been reborn, where it would be or any idea of how to go about finding it.” Kaede turned her strong, one-eyed gaze on Kagome. “Kagome, however, might be able to sense it. Our family has had strong ties to renowned miko throughout the world. I sense a power in her that has only just begun to show itself. With a little bit of training, she could use her powers to find it.”
“Kaede-san, can you tell me about Kikyou and yourself?” Kagome asked. She was truly curious about her long deceased relative. And Inuyasha had gotten his answer, now she wanted some of her own. Her family, in particular, were somewhat mysterious about the two miko sisters and who better to get their history from than one of them?
Kaede looked thoughtful. “You weren't taught much about us, were you?” Kagome shook her head. Kaede sighed. “I thought as much. We are the embarrassments of the family. I will start at the beginning.
“It is well known that our family line has ruled Avaren for hundreds of years--maybe even thousands. Our one rule for those who inherit the throne is that they must be honorable, duty bound people. Gender doesn't matter. Kikyou and I are your grandfather's cousins. Since your grandfather did not have any siblings, Kikyou was second in line for the throne and I was third. Until Kikyou possessed the Shikon no Tama.
“Kikyou's miko powers showed early. She was sent away to school and graduated as the youngest pupil to the greatest master ever known. She was only eight. When she turned ten, strangers came to our palace. They came in youkai bone armor, spoke in an accent no one could place and bore a jewel of exquisite beauty--one that made all the youkai near by go crazy. They asked one simple thing: for Kikyou to become the jewel's new master. When her abilities reached their ears, they knew she was the only one capable enough to take on the task of caring for the Shikon no Tama.
?Kikyou took her bow and shot down every youkai that attacked while the strangers asked and pleaded with her to take the jewel. She defended her home and her people and, of course, accepted the task. The bodies of the many youkai barely grew cold before they placed it in her hand. Upon her touch, the jewel--which had been a deep blackish purple--immediately flashed and changed to the most beautiful shining purple-pink anyone had seen. She had instantly purified the evilness inside the jewel. Their choice of bearer had been correct.
?Kikyou accept her duty without a qualm. It was what our family expected of her. It also destroyed her claim to the throne. Her duty to the Shikon no Tama superseded any other duty. If, for any reason, she had to choose between the kingdom and the jewel, the jewel would win every time. So I became second in line.
?For six years, she distanced herself from the palace. She moved from place to place, killing youkai who were after the jewel until she met a hanyou in this village. That was you, Inuyasha. I was seven then and was staying with her. Your grandfather, Kagome, had just married and was expecting his first child. I was no longer needed as the heir.
?Kikyou changed after that. She no longer thought about only her duty. She seemed happy for the first time. My own miko powers were developing and Kikyou decided to settle here in Aniri--to teach those with powers how to use them and the normal villagers how to defend themselves.” Kaede paused for the first time in her story. Sadness washed over her in waves. What happened next to her sister was something Kaede regretted. She wished with all her heart she could have changed it. But that was not a power anyone possessed.
Kaede looked up at Inuyasha with unshed tears. She took a deep breath and continued. “This next part, Inuyasha, is something I have never told anyone. Several months before my sister's death, she encountered a strange youkai who wanted the Shikon no Tama. He was clever, witty and charming. He had powers no other youkai in existence could compare to. She told me one day, that after her initial meeting with him, she could not kill him because she cared for him. At first she thought it was love--an emotion she only just began to recognize because of you. But she soon realized that what she felt were false emotions, implanted in her by him. He was able to enter her mind. On occasion she would blackout and wake up in strange places. She knew then that he controlled her.
“I watched her as she battled many mental battles with him. I watched as the jewel changed from that pure purple-pink to a deep black and back again in rapid succession, watched helpless as my sister slowly lost her mind to him. I know she was happy to die, to stop the constant battles. Her last wish was to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body so he could not have it, a request that took all her effort to make and one that I happily granted.
?I do not know what you fought about with her on the day she died, but I'm positive that Kikyou was not truly fighting you. It was the youkai who controlled her mind. The moment she came back to herself, she was already pointing the arrow at you. Instead of killing you as he had intended, she instead used an ancient miko spell to bind you to that tree.” Kaede finished and realized with a start that tears were falling down her cheeks. She hadn't even felt them. She blinked and didn't hide her face. She was not ashamed of her emotions.
?Who was this bastard youkai?” Inuyasha asked in a growl. He stood poised to fight, a fist clenched tightly and his teeth bared, showing off two white glistening fangs. He truly reminded Kagome of a guard dog like that--ready to defend his master to the death.
?Naraku.” The single named fell on them all like ice cold water. Shivers ran from the roots of their hair to their toes. No one moved, no one breathed. When the shock faded, Inuyasha stormed out of the hut. He shouted every curse he knew in every language he knew. The three humans left in the hut heard the thumps and whacks and creeks of tall trees being hit with something--probably Inuyasha's own fist. They heard bark fly off the trees and land on the ground, claws scraping against the tough tree hides without a care.
Kagome sat silently long after Inuyasha's departure until his retreat could no longer be heard. She turned back to Kaede. “What happened to you?”
Kaede answered her softly. “Since I was no longer needed as the heir, I decided to remain here. I learned from other passing miko how to use my gifts but my powers weren't as strong as my sister's. I was known as mainly the healer for the village. I taught the children that presented powers as much as I could before recommending them for training at a proper school.”
When Kaede fell silent again, Miroku spoke up. “You said that you and Kikyou were considered embarrassments to the Higurashi name. How come? Nothing you've said so far seems so bad.”
Kaede looked at them with her one good eye, her clear conscious shining through. She was not ashamed of what they had done. She didn't believe it was wrong. “The traditions of the Higurashi are steeped in duty. Kikyou's duty was to the Shikon no Tama once she was presented with it. They considered her an embarrassment because she disregarded her duty when she fell in love with Inuyasha, going so far as to wish for a normal life with him. She disregarded her duty again when she let Naraku enter her mind. She let him live.
“As for myself, I'm considered an embarrassment because I chose to live out my life here in Aniri instead of returning to the palace. I disregarded my duty of marrying a noble and increasing my family's good name. I held no desire for such a future and have been quite happy here in this small village.”
Kagome sat back, tired from all the events of the day. Kaede was right, though. Her family did think in terms of duty. Her mother's marriage scheme was all about duty. She understood it. She accepted it. But it was hard. There had to be a balance somewhere between duty and personal happiness. If one sacrificed everything for duty, one would be very unhappy and tired. Her parents had been lucky that they had fallen in love. Not all the marriages in her family were like that. Her's might not at this rate.
Kaede stood and stretched. She offered her hand to Kagome. Kagome accepted it with a quiet thanks. “It's been a long day. I'll show you someplace you can relax and then you can sleep the night here. We'll leave Inuyasha to his thoughts for right now. It'll be hard for him to come to terms with what Naraku has done.”
Kagome smiled gratefully and followed the old woman out of the hut. They took a winding path down the stairs, through the lower village and out to the surrounding forest. When Kaede parted a patch of wild branches, Kagome spied a beautiful steaming hot spring. “I found this by accident one day when I was about your age. It might help relieve the stress of the day. I'll leave you to soak.”
“Arigatou.”
Kagome waited until Kaede left before moving closer to the hot spring. She carefully untied her obi, folded it and laid it on a large rock. She then took off her kimono--one of the lighter layers she had worn under her formal kimono--folded it neatly and placed it on the same rock.
Freed from her clothes, she gracefully walked into the hot spring and let the hot water swirl around her aching feet and body. To help relieve more of the tension, she removed the plain hair pins and let her hair flow thick and free down her back. The ends just barely touched the surface when she stood straight. Glancing around--to make sure no one like Miroku had followed her--Kagome sank down into the warm waters with a sigh.
It was so comforting to have the hot water relax all the knots in her body. She closed her eyes and lounged against a sturdy rock under the water. She allowed all but her head to sink below the surface. She did not hear the slight rustle next to the hot spring. She did not notice the shadow that fell across her clothes or the new scent in the air--of lilacs mixed with something musky and out of place here in this forest.
O o O o O o O o O
The female Taijiya warrior scouted the village again. Hours had already passed since she had arrived. Night blanketed her in darkness. The mysterious portal placed her right in a patch of bushes next to the village a few hours before sunset. After several rounds of walking the perimeter and coming back to her original position, she finally decided to wait there. The group she sought must have gone into a hut. This particular patch of bushes allowed her to see every angle of the lower village. If they left, she would know.
She scanned the area again, this time catching the movement of the hanyou who attacked her village. Her body tensed. She wanted to leave her cover and fight him but the voice came back inside her head. It pounded a tattoo of orders like war drums. She moved her gaze to the hut just behind him and stared.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes, two more figures moved out of the hut. The girl she was after walked next to an old woman. The old woman was not a part of this, though. Her orders were specifically for the girl.
Carefully, she crawled along the bushes. Her black armor lent her camouflage and the bee hive the man gave her laid next to her former position, forgotten. She waited a few heart beats as the old woman stopped in front of a hot spring. After a few words were exchanged, the old woman left. She crawled farther into the clearing, slowly, one inch at a time, cautiously watching the girl remove her clothes. When the girl stretched and reclined on a rock, she made her move.
She came up out of the underbrush slowly. Her hands took the girl's clothes off the rock they rested on and tossed them behind her. She didn't want any hidden weapon to be used against her. On silent feet, she ran into the hot spring and grabbed the girl. She twisted the girl around so that the girl's back was pressed up against her front. She choked the girl just enough so she could not scream.
Kagome freaked. She had glimpsed only a pair of clouded deep brown eyes--such a dark brown that they almost appeared black against the night. She could tell her attacker was a woman, probably human, because her breasts were pushed against Kagome's back and no other signs of youkai were present. She clawed at the woman's arm and tried to get her to release her neck. Air was getting harder and harder to pull into her lungs.
The woman pulled Kagome out of the hot spring and into the bushes. She carefully pulled her farther and farther from the hot spring in the direction away from the village. Kagome tried hard. She twisted and turned and did anything she could think of but she could not break free of her attacker's hold. Even her wet slippery body was no good. The woman's armor seemed water proof.
Kagome's mind raced. She had to do something. In a last attempt to show that she was in danger, Kagome dug her heals into the ground. They made furrows that pointed in the direction she was being taken. The woman yanked her again, twisting her upward and angling her so her feet just touched the tops of the rocks strewn across the dirt. Each hit made her feet hurt. A few even cut her--adding blood to her trail.
But before too long, Kagome gave up. She was already tiring and she could not afford to let herself become even more injured. Not if she wanted to survive. Her best bet was to stop struggling and try to escape later. This girl who held her was obviously much stronger than Kagome. Her only option was to try to run once they stopped and she needed to save what little strength remained for that.
Dizziness crept up on her from lack of air and made it hard for her to see her surroundings. Kagome shook her head, just enough to clear her vision again, and watched the trees pass by. She tried to remember which trees were where and if there was a path.
Abruptly, they came to a halt. “I've brought her,” her attacker spoke. Kagome looked up to see a strange figure in a weird animal pelt. She could not tell what it was in the dark--male or female, youkai or human. Her attacker walked towards it. The figure raised it's arms and accepted Kagome, holding her away from his body so he could look at her. She began to struggled again. This was not part of her escape plan. One attacker she could fool, but two was too much.
“Good work,” the figure spoke. He stared at her naked form, licking his lips. He thought about all the things he wanted to do to her that Kikyou denied him. It made his lust grow. Seeing her in the flesh and feeling her felt so much better than his imaginings.
Kagome froze. She knew that voice. A cold chill ran down her body. The figure clenched her tighter, anticipating any new move. Where had she heard it before? Kagome's mind raced and tried to find that voice in her memories. Then it hit her.
Suddenly, she didn't see the dark forest or the female warrior or the figure clothed in an animal pelt. She was back home, in Avaren, hiding in the tunnel beneath the palace. The screams had died away and all that could be heard were wet slippery sounds as feet were shucked through the pools of blood. That voice had spoken. Kagome would never have forgotten it. Never. It was the voice of the usurper, the murderer who killed her father. Naraku.
Kagome became wild. She clawed at him blindly. One of his hands rested across her mouth while the other held her tightly on the arm. In sheer panic, Kagome bit down. He pulled it away from her mouth only to grasp her chin. But it was enough. Kagome screamed--a loud ear splitting sound filled with desperateness and fear that echoed in the forest.
Naraku release her head only long enough to slap her across the face. Blood pooled in her mouth and dribbled down her bottom lip, small drops fell from her chin to hit the ground in dull thuds. The inside of her mouth was cut from the force of the blow pushing her cheek against her teeth. Her head spun in another wave of dizziness. Naraku took hold of her legs and cradled her against his body.
“Be a good girl and don't do that again. I will not hesitate to slap you as many times as it takes.”
Kagome became silent. She had screamed, loud enough for Inuyasha to hear her. She just had to wait. He would come. She was sure of it. In the mean time, she rested her head on Naraku's shoulder, too dizzy to keep it up. Her mouth throbbed; the metallic taste of her blood sickened her and made her stomach sour.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha sat exhausted. He took quick breaths, almost like panting but not quite. The trunks of many trees littered the ground around him, laying where he had felled them. Most were cut up into useful pieces of fire wood. He would take those back to Kaede's hut later. Others, the first to be harmed in his wild rage, lay in shredded wrecks on the ground-- much like noddles that a small child made for the first time.
He clenched his hands. He didn't care about the small cuts that riddled them. They were already beginning to heal. The wound in his heart, however, still bled. It was stubborn. It would not heal. Not yet. Not after everything Kaede had said. His mind turned red again. Rage soared through his veins, pounding only one clear thought: revenge. He had to kill the bastard Naraku. Only then could he gain peace.
The forest around him was eerily silent. He had scared off all the small woodland creatures. Nothing remained by him. He was alone. And he felt it. For the first time in his life, Inuyasha was truly lonely. He wanted someone who would comfort him. He wanted someone to walk up to him and tell him it was okay to be angry, to be hurt, to feel useless and want to kill anything in his path. All he got was silence. Not even the wind brushed across the tree tops.
He sat there, in the middle of the forest, paralyzed by his feelings and unable to move. If it was any other night, he would have missed it. The scream barely pierced through the thick foliage to him, so far was he in the forest. As soon as the last echoes died away, he stood in a flash and scented the air. The scream came from the right. The village was to his left. Some one was in trouble farther out in the forest than even he was.
Inuyasha left his battered trees and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the sound. He scented the air, not bothering to stop for anything. As he neared, one scent caught and held him immobile for a few seconds. It was Kagome.
His instincts took over, kicking him in to overdrive. He became a flashing red blur through the forest and only slowed when he was close to the clearing he smelled Kagome in. Two strange scents accompanied her's. One was of lilacs and musk--a drugged human female that was not Kagome. The other disoriented him. He shook his head vigorously and scented the air again. This time he took small wafting breaths through his nose. It worked. The last scent was distinct and potent. It smelled of dead decaying bodies, old musty earth and many youkai all crammed into one being. Distasteful and disgusting.
Inuyasha walked cautiously forward. He bent branches and bushes out of his way silently. His eyes finally spied the small group. He came in time to see the one with the weird scent shake off the hood of an animal pelt and bend his head down to kiss Kagome. Kagome, held in the man's arms, was naked and damp and struggled futilely to get away.
Naraku sucked on Kagome's lip harder, taking in every last drop of blood he could reach. He had heard Inuyasha approach from miles away. This was his way of saying hello. The girl struggled in his arms but she was too weak to do him any harm. Something in her blood caught Naraku's attention. It was a small thread of something that felt divine. It was intoxicating.
Naraku looked up into Inuyasha's eyes as he placed Kagome down on her own two feet, her back pressed against his torso. One arm snaked around her stomach. His hand latched on to a naked breast and caressed her nipple with half cruelty and half adoration. His other arm cradled her head to the side, exposing her throat to his view. He had to taste her blood fully. Something in it was strange, off, not like other humans.
Inuyasha made to move toward him. Naraku glared at him. “One step and I can easily kill her like this,” Naraku spoke in a cool whisper. His cold blood red stare moved toward him languorously.
Inuyasha settled down. He ran through his mind all the different things he could do but he chose to stay still. Naraku was too close to Kagome's jugular for his liking. One wrong move and Naraku could cut her so deep, she would die from blood loss.
Inuyasha watched in agony as Naraku played with Kagome's breast and bent his head down to her neck. Kagome's eyes pleaded with Inuyasha to help her but he couldn't do anything. Not yet.
Naraku licked her neck, tasting her sweet skin. The slimy feel made Kagome want to vomit. It was disgusting. She wanted him to remove his hand. She wanted to push him away and spit on him. Instead she stood still. And for good reason.
Kagome felt a prick on her neck then a sharp pain as Naraku bit her. He ingested her blood like a vampire, pulling away when he had enough to ascertain what the compelling taste was. He saw with keen eyes a trail that ran throughout her body of power. It interconnected through her blood vessels to every body part, glowing slight pink. The shock made him loosen his hold on her.
Kagome took the opportunity and pulled away from his slackened hands, trying to run. She felt weak, light headed. She got no farther than a few small steps. Naraku's words entered her fuzzy mind but made no sense. She panted, shook her head and told herself not to collapse. She would not collapse, dammit! She had to be strong now.
“The Shikon no Tama isn't in her body. It is her body. Somehow, the Shikon no Tama fused with her blood.” Naraku stood stunned into silence at this revelation. All his careful plans were ruined. Deciding to retreat for the night, Naraku backed away into the forest, becoming one with the shadows.
Inuyasha paid him no heed. He rushed forward to catch Kagome as the last of her strength failed her. Smears of bright crimson blood on her neck and mouth made her skin look ashen. Her eyes fluttered for a brief moment before falling closed.
“Kagome?” Inuyasha tired to rouse her. He tapped her on her cheek lightly. “Kagome!” She did not stir.
Cursing, Inuyasha pulled her up with him and was about to leave when he remembered the strange female warrior. He looked at her. She lay unconscious on the ground, the musky scent dissipating from her body. He couldn't carry both unconscious women. He decided to first get Kagome to Kaede and then come back for the other woman.
Making sure Kagome was secured in his arms, he ran out of the forest and headed to Kaede's hut. None of the villagers were out and he was thankful for that. He entered Kaede's hut with a rush, the curtain that posed as a door slapping vigorously in the wind left in his wake. He placed Kagome gently on the floor, shrugged out of his haori and let it fall on top of her naked body.
“She has a wound on her neck. Take care of it,” he said to the two stunned occupants and turned to leave. Kaede and Miroku looked to themselves then at the unconscious girl and began to work quickly.
On his way to get the other woman, Inuyasha stopped by the hot spring. It had been easy to find the spot. Kagome's scent lead the way to it after all. He found her clothes, strung along the bushes almost like they were hung to dry, and gathered them up. He didn't stop again until he came to the other woman. She still lay on the ground where he had left her.
Inuyasha tucked Kagome's clothes under his chin while he pick up the strange woman. Once she was secure in his arms, he let the clothes fall to her stomach. The air currents would press the clothes towards him while his shoulders acted like a shield to prevent them from falling as he ran. Once everything was adjusted right, Inuyasha ran back to Kaede's hut. Fear finally settled foremost in his mind. It took wing and spread horrible images in his heart: Kagome dying, Kagome never waking again, Kagome a slave to Naraku. Each one more unpleasant than the last.
By the time Inuyasha reached Kaede's hut, he was almost unable to enter. The woman he carried was only unconscious, not as gravely injured as Kagome. She didn't need to be seen right away. Be he went in anyway through sheer force of will one slow step at a time.
He placed the woman in his arms on the other side of the hut from where Kagome lay. He grabbed Kagome's clothes and sat down in a corner where he could see both women. The clothes offered some comfort as Kagome's sweet intoxicating scent still lingered. They did not smell of death or of that bastard Naraku. No one had told him what Naraku looked like nor had he identified himself but Inuyasha was sure all the same. That was the only enemy Kagome and he had in common.
Kaede worked furiously, using all her knowledge of herbs to try to stop the bleeding on Kagome's neck. The bite was somewhat brutal. It was not a ravaged mark like an animal would cause but at the same time, it wasn't a love bite either. It was a bite to draw blood, in any way it could, and inflict enough pain to keep the person still. Kaede had never seen anything like it before.
“Inuyasha, who did this?” Kaede asked, anger in check. Inuyasha starred at Kagome, unable to speak. “Inuyasha!” Kaede yelled. She looked up from her task to stare at the hanyou with worried eyes.
Inuyasha looked away. “Naraku,” he whispered sadly.
Kaede sucked in a startled breath. That explained why it looked so weird. Naraku was a youkai, not an animal but not human either. Youkai were more like a cross between the two. Their teeth and jaws could be used to tear out the throats of their enemies but they could also be used to give their mates love bites in pleasure. A youkai's mixture of features made for a strong and deadly creature.
Kaede took a deep breath and knew her knowledge on herbs alone would be no good. She hadn't done it in years but now her miko powers were needed again. “Miroku, take you hands and hold them here, where mine are,” she directed.
She waited until Miroku's hands where in the right place then took her own hands and hovered them above his. She silenced her thoughts, quieted her racing heart and dredged up all the knowledge her sister and her miko masters had imparted to her.
Slowly, her hands glowed a pale pink tipped in light green, like the leaves of a caladium plant. As Miroku pressed on the wound, he noticed that the blood started to slow and then stopped leaking out all together. The wound closed. Miroku moved his hands away, taking the cloth Kaede had placed there to soak up the blood with him. All that remained of the wound as Kaede let her hands fall away was a bruise.
Kaede wiped her perspiring brow and nodded in satisfaction. “That will do,” she said to the room in general. Inuyasha looked up, eyes trained on Kagome. “Something in Naraku's saliva prevented her wound from slowing the blood down. Now, after my healing, she should be fine. We'll need to make her drink an herbal tea to stave off infection and any toxins that might have been in Naraku's saliva but otherwise, she'll be fine.”
Inuyasha's heart began to calm somewhat. He was glad she would be alright. An unexplainable hitch had crept inside him when he saw the monster with Kagome, her damp naked body being caressed by those evil hands. It felt as if a vise was squeezing his heart, tighter and tighter until it wanted to burst from the pain.
Inuyasha stood and walked to where Kagome lay. Without a look to Miroku or Kaede, he said, “I'll stay with her. Take care of the other woman.”
They moved to the other side of the room. “Who is she, Inuyasha?” Kaede asked.
Inuyasha sat with his legs crossed next to Kagome, itching to hold one of her hands. “I don't know. She was with Naraku, taking his orders. She was the one who took Kagome from the hot spring.” At their alarmed gasps, Inuyasha looked up and said quickly, “I smelled drugs on her. She didn't do it of her own free will. Naraku left her behind.” Kaede nodded then glanced back at the woman. Miroku clenched a hand. Another innocent had been hurt in Naraku's scheme.
“We'll have to give her water and wait until the drugs leave her before we can do much else,” Kaede commented and began to take off the woman's armor. Upon closer inspection, not all the armor pieces were black. Some had faint pink designs on them to denote her feminine status. Nothing she wore indicated who she was or where she was from.
Miroku blushed as he helped divest the woman from her clothes. For all his hentai ways, he had never actually undressed a woman. He admired the female form from a distance, albeit a rather close one. His orders as a monk made it impossible for him to experience any of the joys they offered to men. If he found one so deserving, he would give up those vows in a heart beat.
Once all the armor was taken off, they saw bandages that wrapped around the majority of the woman's body. “These are about a week old,” Kaede stated. “They've been tended to well, almost fully healed.” She and Miroku rolled her onto her stomach. A giant wound on her back gaped open, spilling fresh blood. “This one, however, appears to have reopened during all the struggling. I'll have to stitch it closed and she wont be able to move around much when she wakes.”
Kaede went about cleaning the wound and ordered Miroku to fetch a needle and thread to stitch it closed. She placed a poultice on it once it was closed to her satisfaction and had Miroku hold the woman up so she could place a bandage around the woman's chest and back. All they could do now was wait for their two patients to wake up.
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Author's Note: I know my story is close to the original in many ways right now; I wanted it to be like that--reminiscent of the original story we all know and love. In the next few chapters, though, the differences will begin to show. Do not worry, this isn't a rehashing of the original storyline. There are many things that will not be happening and some new things I hope you all will enjoy. ^_^
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 5: The Forgotten Healer
Naraku sat in his private chambers, comfortable and relaxed. Only those who he wanted to find him could. It was perfect--his genius hiding spot. He hid his true base inside a portal deep within the Avaren Palace. This insured complete privacy. Upon a mere whim, he could create portals throughout the world to let someone in or out with out anyone the wiser. There was one set up in a location only known to him and his offspring, Kanna and Kagura, in fact. One that was hidden in plain sight but no one would ever think to look there.
A young woman stirred beside him, coming awake for the first time in the last week. She sat up slowly and placed a hand on her head. Naraku turned to her, a tray of steaming liquid by his side. “Do not move too quickly,” he said. “You suffered some deep wounds. Your body has only just healed.”
“Where am I? Who are you?” The young woman looked up at the stranger, disoriented and unable to remember anything. Her mind felt fuzzy, laden down with invisible wires. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it but it did no good.
“Here, drink this.” Naraku handed her the cup that sat beside him. She took it gratefully, and, thinking it was hot tea, gulped it down. The bitter taste startled her; it wasn't like any tea she had every had before. She coughed and sputtered and managed to drag some of the liquid down the wrong way.
“What is that?” she asked him, her mind numbing even more. She felt off, not completely right or there with the man mentally.
“Do not concern yourself with that. Just listen to my voice.” Naraku waited until she nodded slowly before continuing. “I found you wounded outside my castle. You told me your village had been attacked by a hanyou in red with long silver hair and inu ears. I've heard of him. His name is Inuyasha.”
The girl looked at him with glazed eyes, her mind accepting his lies. “I want you to find him and bring me back the young human girl that is with him. He kidnapped her from me.”
The girl nodded again. “Where can I find him?”
“He's at a village called Aniri. I'll take you close by. Wait until either the girl is alone or they leave the village. There is a young monk with them. I have something that will stop him for a time. Do not concern yourself with him.”
The girl looked up at him and accepted his orders. She felt as if she shouldn't reject them. As if something was desperately wrong but a foggy haze danced inside her mind. It made it difficult to think of anything other than the man's voice.
“Your clothes and weapons are next to you. You may leave whenever you are ready.”
She stood from her futon and gazed at her bandaged body. She remembered the wound on her back, the jagged cut along her arm, the various shallow cuts and bruises she had sustained from the fight. She could not tell what weapon had caused them, however; or who had given them to her. That part of her memory became too fuzzy for her to make out. It made her head ache horribly. Instead, she shied away from them and concentrated only on what the man told her. She dressed swiftly without a care of who saw her and placed her giant youkai bone boomerang, Hiraikotsu, gingerly on her back.
“I'm ready,” she said to Naraku. He inclined his head slightly and opened a portal that connected close to Aniri. Before she stepped through, he placed a bee hive in her hand. She looked down at it, puzzled, then her mind clouded over and an incessant voice drummed in her head to leave, to do as she was ordered. She turned without a word and left, not even caring that man never mentioned his name.
Naraku watched the portal close. He turned back to his original task and gazed with unseeing eyes across the room at the wall. Inside his head, he watched Kagome--through the eyes of one of his small youkai servants--as she went with an old woman to a hut.
Recollection stroked his mind. Kikyou's younger sister. He had forgotten all about her. He'd watched her for years after Kikyou's death, checking up on her to make sure she was no threat to him. He stopped his vigilance when she'd matured and the only truly powerful miko abilities she possessed were for healing. She could not heal him to death so he left her to her own devices. It was amazing to see that she still lived.
Though she could not harm him physically, she could teach Kagome all she knew about miko abilities. He should have dealt with her before, when she was a child, right after Kikyou's death. It was too late now. Hopefully she didn't remember him.
Naraku turned back to watching Kagome with hungry eyes. He wasn't sure where the Shikon no Tama would be in her body but he would find it. Once he grasped it in his hand, he could use her in any other way he pleased. Kikyou had rebuffed him time and again but this girl was different, more naïve. He could coax her into doing anything once he slithered into her mind--a taxing yet useful skill.
Naraku chuckled to himself, happy for the first time in ages. Yes, things were falling into place perfectly. The Shikon no Tama would be his, the girl would be his, the world would be his. All he had to do was wait a few more days. He could be a bit more patient.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha sat while his eyebrow twitched and a foot tapped the wooden boards in time with his finger on his leg. He was annoyed. They were sitting in Kaede's hut--for a hour now. Lunch was done. The clean up was done. Yet his two human companions just kept on chit-chatting with the old woman. None bothered to turn to him to see what information he wanted from Kaede.
“Oi, baba,” Inuyasha interrupted rudely. “We didn't come here to enjoy your company.”
The three humans became quiet. Kaede turned to him. “Inuyasha, you do not have to be rude. An old woman like me enjoys the company of anyone who wishes to stay here. We'll get to your pressing need soon.” Kaede turned back to Kagome and Miroku and finished up on her tale. She then turned and gave Inuyasha her full attention. “Well? What is it you wished to ask me?”
Inuyasha sat up straighter. Anger curled inside his stomach and made him feel snappy. “Your Kikyou's sister, you should know what happened to the Shikon no Tama.”
Kaede stared at him with her one good eye, looking for any indication that he was worthy of her knowledge. She grunted with a nod. For all his rudeness and forcefulness, Inuyasha would never use the jewel for evil. He may not be worthy of using its powers at all but he could protect it from those who wished to harm others with it.
“The Shikon no Tama was burned with Kikyou's body, as per her instructions. I do not know if it has been reborn, where it would be or any idea of how to go about finding it.” Kaede turned her strong, one-eyed gaze on Kagome. “Kagome, however, might be able to sense it. Our family has had strong ties to renowned miko throughout the world. I sense a power in her that has only just begun to show itself. With a little bit of training, she could use her powers to find it.”
“Kaede-san, can you tell me about Kikyou and yourself?” Kagome asked. She was truly curious about her long deceased relative. And Inuyasha had gotten his answer, now she wanted some of her own. Her family, in particular, were somewhat mysterious about the two miko sisters and who better to get their history from than one of them?
Kaede looked thoughtful. “You weren't taught much about us, were you?” Kagome shook her head. Kaede sighed. “I thought as much. We are the embarrassments of the family. I will start at the beginning.
“It is well known that our family line has ruled Avaren for hundreds of years--maybe even thousands. Our one rule for those who inherit the throne is that they must be honorable, duty bound people. Gender doesn't matter. Kikyou and I are your grandfather's cousins. Since your grandfather did not have any siblings, Kikyou was second in line for the throne and I was third. Until Kikyou possessed the Shikon no Tama.
“Kikyou's miko powers showed early. She was sent away to school and graduated as the youngest pupil to the greatest master ever known. She was only eight. When she turned ten, strangers came to our palace. They came in youkai bone armor, spoke in an accent no one could place and bore a jewel of exquisite beauty--one that made all the youkai near by go crazy. They asked one simple thing: for Kikyou to become the jewel's new master. When her abilities reached their ears, they knew she was the only one capable enough to take on the task of caring for the Shikon no Tama.
?Kikyou took her bow and shot down every youkai that attacked while the strangers asked and pleaded with her to take the jewel. She defended her home and her people and, of course, accepted the task. The bodies of the many youkai barely grew cold before they placed it in her hand. Upon her touch, the jewel--which had been a deep blackish purple--immediately flashed and changed to the most beautiful shining purple-pink anyone had seen. She had instantly purified the evilness inside the jewel. Their choice of bearer had been correct.
?Kikyou accept her duty without a qualm. It was what our family expected of her. It also destroyed her claim to the throne. Her duty to the Shikon no Tama superseded any other duty. If, for any reason, she had to choose between the kingdom and the jewel, the jewel would win every time. So I became second in line.
?For six years, she distanced herself from the palace. She moved from place to place, killing youkai who were after the jewel until she met a hanyou in this village. That was you, Inuyasha. I was seven then and was staying with her. Your grandfather, Kagome, had just married and was expecting his first child. I was no longer needed as the heir.
?Kikyou changed after that. She no longer thought about only her duty. She seemed happy for the first time. My own miko powers were developing and Kikyou decided to settle here in Aniri--to teach those with powers how to use them and the normal villagers how to defend themselves.” Kaede paused for the first time in her story. Sadness washed over her in waves. What happened next to her sister was something Kaede regretted. She wished with all her heart she could have changed it. But that was not a power anyone possessed.
Kaede looked up at Inuyasha with unshed tears. She took a deep breath and continued. “This next part, Inuyasha, is something I have never told anyone. Several months before my sister's death, she encountered a strange youkai who wanted the Shikon no Tama. He was clever, witty and charming. He had powers no other youkai in existence could compare to. She told me one day, that after her initial meeting with him, she could not kill him because she cared for him. At first she thought it was love--an emotion she only just began to recognize because of you. But she soon realized that what she felt were false emotions, implanted in her by him. He was able to enter her mind. On occasion she would blackout and wake up in strange places. She knew then that he controlled her.
“I watched her as she battled many mental battles with him. I watched as the jewel changed from that pure purple-pink to a deep black and back again in rapid succession, watched helpless as my sister slowly lost her mind to him. I know she was happy to die, to stop the constant battles. Her last wish was to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body so he could not have it, a request that took all her effort to make and one that I happily granted.
?I do not know what you fought about with her on the day she died, but I'm positive that Kikyou was not truly fighting you. It was the youkai who controlled her mind. The moment she came back to herself, she was already pointing the arrow at you. Instead of killing you as he had intended, she instead used an ancient miko spell to bind you to that tree.” Kaede finished and realized with a start that tears were falling down her cheeks. She hadn't even felt them. She blinked and didn't hide her face. She was not ashamed of her emotions.
?Who was this bastard youkai?” Inuyasha asked in a growl. He stood poised to fight, a fist clenched tightly and his teeth bared, showing off two white glistening fangs. He truly reminded Kagome of a guard dog like that--ready to defend his master to the death.
?Naraku.” The single named fell on them all like ice cold water. Shivers ran from the roots of their hair to their toes. No one moved, no one breathed. When the shock faded, Inuyasha stormed out of the hut. He shouted every curse he knew in every language he knew. The three humans left in the hut heard the thumps and whacks and creeks of tall trees being hit with something--probably Inuyasha's own fist. They heard bark fly off the trees and land on the ground, claws scraping against the tough tree hides without a care.
Kagome sat silently long after Inuyasha's departure until his retreat could no longer be heard. She turned back to Kaede. “What happened to you?”
Kaede answered her softly. “Since I was no longer needed as the heir, I decided to remain here. I learned from other passing miko how to use my gifts but my powers weren't as strong as my sister's. I was known as mainly the healer for the village. I taught the children that presented powers as much as I could before recommending them for training at a proper school.”
When Kaede fell silent again, Miroku spoke up. “You said that you and Kikyou were considered embarrassments to the Higurashi name. How come? Nothing you've said so far seems so bad.”
Kaede looked at them with her one good eye, her clear conscious shining through. She was not ashamed of what they had done. She didn't believe it was wrong. “The traditions of the Higurashi are steeped in duty. Kikyou's duty was to the Shikon no Tama once she was presented with it. They considered her an embarrassment because she disregarded her duty when she fell in love with Inuyasha, going so far as to wish for a normal life with him. She disregarded her duty again when she let Naraku enter her mind. She let him live.
“As for myself, I'm considered an embarrassment because I chose to live out my life here in Aniri instead of returning to the palace. I disregarded my duty of marrying a noble and increasing my family's good name. I held no desire for such a future and have been quite happy here in this small village.”
Kagome sat back, tired from all the events of the day. Kaede was right, though. Her family did think in terms of duty. Her mother's marriage scheme was all about duty. She understood it. She accepted it. But it was hard. There had to be a balance somewhere between duty and personal happiness. If one sacrificed everything for duty, one would be very unhappy and tired. Her parents had been lucky that they had fallen in love. Not all the marriages in her family were like that. Her's might not at this rate.
Kaede stood and stretched. She offered her hand to Kagome. Kagome accepted it with a quiet thanks. “It's been a long day. I'll show you someplace you can relax and then you can sleep the night here. We'll leave Inuyasha to his thoughts for right now. It'll be hard for him to come to terms with what Naraku has done.”
Kagome smiled gratefully and followed the old woman out of the hut. They took a winding path down the stairs, through the lower village and out to the surrounding forest. When Kaede parted a patch of wild branches, Kagome spied a beautiful steaming hot spring. “I found this by accident one day when I was about your age. It might help relieve the stress of the day. I'll leave you to soak.”
“Arigatou.”
Kagome waited until Kaede left before moving closer to the hot spring. She carefully untied her obi, folded it and laid it on a large rock. She then took off her kimono--one of the lighter layers she had worn under her formal kimono--folded it neatly and placed it on the same rock.
Freed from her clothes, she gracefully walked into the hot spring and let the hot water swirl around her aching feet and body. To help relieve more of the tension, she removed the plain hair pins and let her hair flow thick and free down her back. The ends just barely touched the surface when she stood straight. Glancing around--to make sure no one like Miroku had followed her--Kagome sank down into the warm waters with a sigh.
It was so comforting to have the hot water relax all the knots in her body. She closed her eyes and lounged against a sturdy rock under the water. She allowed all but her head to sink below the surface. She did not hear the slight rustle next to the hot spring. She did not notice the shadow that fell across her clothes or the new scent in the air--of lilacs mixed with something musky and out of place here in this forest.
O o O o O o O o O
The female Taijiya warrior scouted the village again. Hours had already passed since she had arrived. Night blanketed her in darkness. The mysterious portal placed her right in a patch of bushes next to the village a few hours before sunset. After several rounds of walking the perimeter and coming back to her original position, she finally decided to wait there. The group she sought must have gone into a hut. This particular patch of bushes allowed her to see every angle of the lower village. If they left, she would know.
She scanned the area again, this time catching the movement of the hanyou who attacked her village. Her body tensed. She wanted to leave her cover and fight him but the voice came back inside her head. It pounded a tattoo of orders like war drums. She moved her gaze to the hut just behind him and stared.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes, two more figures moved out of the hut. The girl she was after walked next to an old woman. The old woman was not a part of this, though. Her orders were specifically for the girl.
Carefully, she crawled along the bushes. Her black armor lent her camouflage and the bee hive the man gave her laid next to her former position, forgotten. She waited a few heart beats as the old woman stopped in front of a hot spring. After a few words were exchanged, the old woman left. She crawled farther into the clearing, slowly, one inch at a time, cautiously watching the girl remove her clothes. When the girl stretched and reclined on a rock, she made her move.
She came up out of the underbrush slowly. Her hands took the girl's clothes off the rock they rested on and tossed them behind her. She didn't want any hidden weapon to be used against her. On silent feet, she ran into the hot spring and grabbed the girl. She twisted the girl around so that the girl's back was pressed up against her front. She choked the girl just enough so she could not scream.
Kagome freaked. She had glimpsed only a pair of clouded deep brown eyes--such a dark brown that they almost appeared black against the night. She could tell her attacker was a woman, probably human, because her breasts were pushed against Kagome's back and no other signs of youkai were present. She clawed at the woman's arm and tried to get her to release her neck. Air was getting harder and harder to pull into her lungs.
The woman pulled Kagome out of the hot spring and into the bushes. She carefully pulled her farther and farther from the hot spring in the direction away from the village. Kagome tried hard. She twisted and turned and did anything she could think of but she could not break free of her attacker's hold. Even her wet slippery body was no good. The woman's armor seemed water proof.
Kagome's mind raced. She had to do something. In a last attempt to show that she was in danger, Kagome dug her heals into the ground. They made furrows that pointed in the direction she was being taken. The woman yanked her again, twisting her upward and angling her so her feet just touched the tops of the rocks strewn across the dirt. Each hit made her feet hurt. A few even cut her--adding blood to her trail.
But before too long, Kagome gave up. She was already tiring and she could not afford to let herself become even more injured. Not if she wanted to survive. Her best bet was to stop struggling and try to escape later. This girl who held her was obviously much stronger than Kagome. Her only option was to try to run once they stopped and she needed to save what little strength remained for that.
Dizziness crept up on her from lack of air and made it hard for her to see her surroundings. Kagome shook her head, just enough to clear her vision again, and watched the trees pass by. She tried to remember which trees were where and if there was a path.
Abruptly, they came to a halt. “I've brought her,” her attacker spoke. Kagome looked up to see a strange figure in a weird animal pelt. She could not tell what it was in the dark--male or female, youkai or human. Her attacker walked towards it. The figure raised it's arms and accepted Kagome, holding her away from his body so he could look at her. She began to struggled again. This was not part of her escape plan. One attacker she could fool, but two was too much.
“Good work,” the figure spoke. He stared at her naked form, licking his lips. He thought about all the things he wanted to do to her that Kikyou denied him. It made his lust grow. Seeing her in the flesh and feeling her felt so much better than his imaginings.
Kagome froze. She knew that voice. A cold chill ran down her body. The figure clenched her tighter, anticipating any new move. Where had she heard it before? Kagome's mind raced and tried to find that voice in her memories. Then it hit her.
Suddenly, she didn't see the dark forest or the female warrior or the figure clothed in an animal pelt. She was back home, in Avaren, hiding in the tunnel beneath the palace. The screams had died away and all that could be heard were wet slippery sounds as feet were shucked through the pools of blood. That voice had spoken. Kagome would never have forgotten it. Never. It was the voice of the usurper, the murderer who killed her father. Naraku.
Kagome became wild. She clawed at him blindly. One of his hands rested across her mouth while the other held her tightly on the arm. In sheer panic, Kagome bit down. He pulled it away from her mouth only to grasp her chin. But it was enough. Kagome screamed--a loud ear splitting sound filled with desperateness and fear that echoed in the forest.
Naraku release her head only long enough to slap her across the face. Blood pooled in her mouth and dribbled down her bottom lip, small drops fell from her chin to hit the ground in dull thuds. The inside of her mouth was cut from the force of the blow pushing her cheek against her teeth. Her head spun in another wave of dizziness. Naraku took hold of her legs and cradled her against his body.
“Be a good girl and don't do that again. I will not hesitate to slap you as many times as it takes.”
Kagome became silent. She had screamed, loud enough for Inuyasha to hear her. She just had to wait. He would come. She was sure of it. In the mean time, she rested her head on Naraku's shoulder, too dizzy to keep it up. Her mouth throbbed; the metallic taste of her blood sickened her and made her stomach sour.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha sat exhausted. He took quick breaths, almost like panting but not quite. The trunks of many trees littered the ground around him, laying where he had felled them. Most were cut up into useful pieces of fire wood. He would take those back to Kaede's hut later. Others, the first to be harmed in his wild rage, lay in shredded wrecks on the ground-- much like noddles that a small child made for the first time.
He clenched his hands. He didn't care about the small cuts that riddled them. They were already beginning to heal. The wound in his heart, however, still bled. It was stubborn. It would not heal. Not yet. Not after everything Kaede had said. His mind turned red again. Rage soared through his veins, pounding only one clear thought: revenge. He had to kill the bastard Naraku. Only then could he gain peace.
The forest around him was eerily silent. He had scared off all the small woodland creatures. Nothing remained by him. He was alone. And he felt it. For the first time in his life, Inuyasha was truly lonely. He wanted someone who would comfort him. He wanted someone to walk up to him and tell him it was okay to be angry, to be hurt, to feel useless and want to kill anything in his path. All he got was silence. Not even the wind brushed across the tree tops.
He sat there, in the middle of the forest, paralyzed by his feelings and unable to move. If it was any other night, he would have missed it. The scream barely pierced through the thick foliage to him, so far was he in the forest. As soon as the last echoes died away, he stood in a flash and scented the air. The scream came from the right. The village was to his left. Some one was in trouble farther out in the forest than even he was.
Inuyasha left his battered trees and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the sound. He scented the air, not bothering to stop for anything. As he neared, one scent caught and held him immobile for a few seconds. It was Kagome.
His instincts took over, kicking him in to overdrive. He became a flashing red blur through the forest and only slowed when he was close to the clearing he smelled Kagome in. Two strange scents accompanied her's. One was of lilacs and musk--a drugged human female that was not Kagome. The other disoriented him. He shook his head vigorously and scented the air again. This time he took small wafting breaths through his nose. It worked. The last scent was distinct and potent. It smelled of dead decaying bodies, old musty earth and many youkai all crammed into one being. Distasteful and disgusting.
Inuyasha walked cautiously forward. He bent branches and bushes out of his way silently. His eyes finally spied the small group. He came in time to see the one with the weird scent shake off the hood of an animal pelt and bend his head down to kiss Kagome. Kagome, held in the man's arms, was naked and damp and struggled futilely to get away.
Naraku sucked on Kagome's lip harder, taking in every last drop of blood he could reach. He had heard Inuyasha approach from miles away. This was his way of saying hello. The girl struggled in his arms but she was too weak to do him any harm. Something in her blood caught Naraku's attention. It was a small thread of something that felt divine. It was intoxicating.
Naraku looked up into Inuyasha's eyes as he placed Kagome down on her own two feet, her back pressed against his torso. One arm snaked around her stomach. His hand latched on to a naked breast and caressed her nipple with half cruelty and half adoration. His other arm cradled her head to the side, exposing her throat to his view. He had to taste her blood fully. Something in it was strange, off, not like other humans.
Inuyasha made to move toward him. Naraku glared at him. “One step and I can easily kill her like this,” Naraku spoke in a cool whisper. His cold blood red stare moved toward him languorously.
Inuyasha settled down. He ran through his mind all the different things he could do but he chose to stay still. Naraku was too close to Kagome's jugular for his liking. One wrong move and Naraku could cut her so deep, she would die from blood loss.
Inuyasha watched in agony as Naraku played with Kagome's breast and bent his head down to her neck. Kagome's eyes pleaded with Inuyasha to help her but he couldn't do anything. Not yet.
Naraku licked her neck, tasting her sweet skin. The slimy feel made Kagome want to vomit. It was disgusting. She wanted him to remove his hand. She wanted to push him away and spit on him. Instead she stood still. And for good reason.
Kagome felt a prick on her neck then a sharp pain as Naraku bit her. He ingested her blood like a vampire, pulling away when he had enough to ascertain what the compelling taste was. He saw with keen eyes a trail that ran throughout her body of power. It interconnected through her blood vessels to every body part, glowing slight pink. The shock made him loosen his hold on her.
Kagome took the opportunity and pulled away from his slackened hands, trying to run. She felt weak, light headed. She got no farther than a few small steps. Naraku's words entered her fuzzy mind but made no sense. She panted, shook her head and told herself not to collapse. She would not collapse, dammit! She had to be strong now.
“The Shikon no Tama isn't in her body. It is her body. Somehow, the Shikon no Tama fused with her blood.” Naraku stood stunned into silence at this revelation. All his careful plans were ruined. Deciding to retreat for the night, Naraku backed away into the forest, becoming one with the shadows.
Inuyasha paid him no heed. He rushed forward to catch Kagome as the last of her strength failed her. Smears of bright crimson blood on her neck and mouth made her skin look ashen. Her eyes fluttered for a brief moment before falling closed.
“Kagome?” Inuyasha tired to rouse her. He tapped her on her cheek lightly. “Kagome!” She did not stir.
Cursing, Inuyasha pulled her up with him and was about to leave when he remembered the strange female warrior. He looked at her. She lay unconscious on the ground, the musky scent dissipating from her body. He couldn't carry both unconscious women. He decided to first get Kagome to Kaede and then come back for the other woman.
Making sure Kagome was secured in his arms, he ran out of the forest and headed to Kaede's hut. None of the villagers were out and he was thankful for that. He entered Kaede's hut with a rush, the curtain that posed as a door slapping vigorously in the wind left in his wake. He placed Kagome gently on the floor, shrugged out of his haori and let it fall on top of her naked body.
“She has a wound on her neck. Take care of it,” he said to the two stunned occupants and turned to leave. Kaede and Miroku looked to themselves then at the unconscious girl and began to work quickly.
On his way to get the other woman, Inuyasha stopped by the hot spring. It had been easy to find the spot. Kagome's scent lead the way to it after all. He found her clothes, strung along the bushes almost like they were hung to dry, and gathered them up. He didn't stop again until he came to the other woman. She still lay on the ground where he had left her.
Inuyasha tucked Kagome's clothes under his chin while he pick up the strange woman. Once she was secure in his arms, he let the clothes fall to her stomach. The air currents would press the clothes towards him while his shoulders acted like a shield to prevent them from falling as he ran. Once everything was adjusted right, Inuyasha ran back to Kaede's hut. Fear finally settled foremost in his mind. It took wing and spread horrible images in his heart: Kagome dying, Kagome never waking again, Kagome a slave to Naraku. Each one more unpleasant than the last.
By the time Inuyasha reached Kaede's hut, he was almost unable to enter. The woman he carried was only unconscious, not as gravely injured as Kagome. She didn't need to be seen right away. Be he went in anyway through sheer force of will one slow step at a time.
He placed the woman in his arms on the other side of the hut from where Kagome lay. He grabbed Kagome's clothes and sat down in a corner where he could see both women. The clothes offered some comfort as Kagome's sweet intoxicating scent still lingered. They did not smell of death or of that bastard Naraku. No one had told him what Naraku looked like nor had he identified himself but Inuyasha was sure all the same. That was the only enemy Kagome and he had in common.
Kaede worked furiously, using all her knowledge of herbs to try to stop the bleeding on Kagome's neck. The bite was somewhat brutal. It was not a ravaged mark like an animal would cause but at the same time, it wasn't a love bite either. It was a bite to draw blood, in any way it could, and inflict enough pain to keep the person still. Kaede had never seen anything like it before.
“Inuyasha, who did this?” Kaede asked, anger in check. Inuyasha starred at Kagome, unable to speak. “Inuyasha!” Kaede yelled. She looked up from her task to stare at the hanyou with worried eyes.
Inuyasha looked away. “Naraku,” he whispered sadly.
Kaede sucked in a startled breath. That explained why it looked so weird. Naraku was a youkai, not an animal but not human either. Youkai were more like a cross between the two. Their teeth and jaws could be used to tear out the throats of their enemies but they could also be used to give their mates love bites in pleasure. A youkai's mixture of features made for a strong and deadly creature.
Kaede took a deep breath and knew her knowledge on herbs alone would be no good. She hadn't done it in years but now her miko powers were needed again. “Miroku, take you hands and hold them here, where mine are,” she directed.
She waited until Miroku's hands where in the right place then took her own hands and hovered them above his. She silenced her thoughts, quieted her racing heart and dredged up all the knowledge her sister and her miko masters had imparted to her.
Slowly, her hands glowed a pale pink tipped in light green, like the leaves of a caladium plant. As Miroku pressed on the wound, he noticed that the blood started to slow and then stopped leaking out all together. The wound closed. Miroku moved his hands away, taking the cloth Kaede had placed there to soak up the blood with him. All that remained of the wound as Kaede let her hands fall away was a bruise.
Kaede wiped her perspiring brow and nodded in satisfaction. “That will do,” she said to the room in general. Inuyasha looked up, eyes trained on Kagome. “Something in Naraku's saliva prevented her wound from slowing the blood down. Now, after my healing, she should be fine. We'll need to make her drink an herbal tea to stave off infection and any toxins that might have been in Naraku's saliva but otherwise, she'll be fine.”
Inuyasha's heart began to calm somewhat. He was glad she would be alright. An unexplainable hitch had crept inside him when he saw the monster with Kagome, her damp naked body being caressed by those evil hands. It felt as if a vise was squeezing his heart, tighter and tighter until it wanted to burst from the pain.
Inuyasha stood and walked to where Kagome lay. Without a look to Miroku or Kaede, he said, “I'll stay with her. Take care of the other woman.”
They moved to the other side of the room. “Who is she, Inuyasha?” Kaede asked.
Inuyasha sat with his legs crossed next to Kagome, itching to hold one of her hands. “I don't know. She was with Naraku, taking his orders. She was the one who took Kagome from the hot spring.” At their alarmed gasps, Inuyasha looked up and said quickly, “I smelled drugs on her. She didn't do it of her own free will. Naraku left her behind.” Kaede nodded then glanced back at the woman. Miroku clenched a hand. Another innocent had been hurt in Naraku's scheme.
“We'll have to give her water and wait until the drugs leave her before we can do much else,” Kaede commented and began to take off the woman's armor. Upon closer inspection, not all the armor pieces were black. Some had faint pink designs on them to denote her feminine status. Nothing she wore indicated who she was or where she was from.
Miroku blushed as he helped divest the woman from her clothes. For all his hentai ways, he had never actually undressed a woman. He admired the female form from a distance, albeit a rather close one. His orders as a monk made it impossible for him to experience any of the joys they offered to men. If he found one so deserving, he would give up those vows in a heart beat.
Once all the armor was taken off, they saw bandages that wrapped around the majority of the woman's body. “These are about a week old,” Kaede stated. “They've been tended to well, almost fully healed.” She and Miroku rolled her onto her stomach. A giant wound on her back gaped open, spilling fresh blood. “This one, however, appears to have reopened during all the struggling. I'll have to stitch it closed and she wont be able to move around much when she wakes.”
Kaede went about cleaning the wound and ordered Miroku to fetch a needle and thread to stitch it closed. She placed a poultice on it once it was closed to her satisfaction and had Miroku hold the woman up so she could place a bandage around the woman's chest and back. All they could do now was wait for their two patients to wake up.
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