InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spellbound Destiny ❯ Chapter 8: Curse of the New Moon ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Elviria 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.19.2011 | Updated On: 01.12.2012 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.6K | Visits: 418 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.19.2011 | Updated On: 01.12.2012 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.6K | Visits: 418 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the wonderful genius.
Author's Note: In case you haven't gone to my profile, I'm state my update here as well. I have reviewed the previous chapters and reedited them, fixing some spelling and grammatical errors and changed some sentence structures to better express what I had originally wanted. You do not need to reread all the chapters. I do suggest you go back to Chapter 7 and reread the last bit (I've rewritten the ending since it felt a bit rushed to me and not what I wanted at all.) I'm also sorry for how late Chapter 8 is. I decided to take a short hiatus in order to come back to it with a fresh mind. I will also post Chapter 9 before the spring semester starts for me in mid January. I can't make any promises about Chapter 10, but I promise again that I will not give up on this story. I will finish it. Thank you to those who have stuck around.
Definitions:
1 ri = 2.440 miles – In this chapter, I use the old Japanese measuring system to measure distances. The old system was used since it's development?in China then brought to Japan?until 1926 where it was converted into the metric system and then banned from all official use on March 31, 1966.
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 8: Curse of the New Moon
Sango walked silently beside her companions, nervous and afraid. The last week and a half had passed without incident and now, just less than an hour away, the fate of her village would be revealed.
She looked at Kagome, concern darkening her eyes and a small portion of her heart. The poor girl had been through quite a bit on this trip. She had finally told them about her nightly practices the morning after she had come back with Inuyasha, upset and silent. It was amazing how she could use her powers to that extent in so short a time. Sango promised to help her practice, both archery and katana sparing, to simulate real battle and prepare her.
She watched as the girl attempted many times to talk to Inuyasha over the past week and a half but to no avail. Inuyasha would not listen and now Kagome walked in silent defeat. After all this was done, Sango planned to give Inuyasha a good piece of her mind and make them sit down together--alone--for once. She could not stand seeing Kagome hurt.
A pink glow suddenly flashed before them. They stopped and starred at the transparent figure of a woman.
“We are close,” she said by way of greeting.
“Midoriko,” Kagome said in slight startlement. She had not called for Midoriko nor felt Midoriko call out to her.
Midoriko bowed her head slightly to the other three people then looked over to Kagome. “There is a cave beyond the village proper, where metal used to be mined. If you cannot find anything in the village, look there. That is where the last battle took place, where the Shikon no Tama was created.”
“Hai. We understand.”
Midoriko disappeared after bowing again to everyone. Sango blinked rapidly, unsure whether she had really seen Midoriko. It was like looking at her village's past. Midoriko held a striking resemblance to several families in her village--families she hoped were safe.
They quickened their pace, just enough to get them to the village faster without sacrificing the need to be cautious. Nothing seemed out of place to Sango so far. The forest sang with birds, the trees and underbrush were undisturbed and the ground they trekked over didn't hold any other foot prints. A typical normal day.
They slowed as they reached a clearing. Sango held her breath, afraid of what she might find. All the images that came to her mind, all the different scenarios she had run through her head on this trip did not prepare her for the sight that met her deep brown eyes. She could not make her feet move. Her breathing stilled and her heart pounded, rushing to her ears in a wave that drowned out all other noise.
The wooden wall, made out of thick tree trunks spiked at the ends, barely stood. There were holes where the wall had caught fire and places where several of the tree trunks had been shoved--to let something in or out was hard to tell. The sole gate somehow stood spike side down several yards away. The ground around the wall was littered with debris--rusty colored trails of blood, scattered wood and many bones.
As Sango walked closer, she could see into the village through the holes in the wall. The houses were destroyed--most of them burnt to the ground. Not a single soul was around. She assumed everyone had been killed or, if they were lucky, had escaped just in time.
With tears in her eyes, she made her way through the village. Kagome, Miroku and Inuyasha followed her lead and on guard. She took in every last detail--from the tiny skeletal hands of children, thrown haphazardly around the village, to the destroyed buildings and gardens and splotches of blood that coated everything like rain water after a storm.
Her village, her home, was gone. Just as Naraku had said. But it wasn't Inuyasha's doing. That was imposable. Whoever had come to destroy her village had done it when she and the rest of the warriors were out. Did Naraku set all this up, just to manipulate her?
The thought was too much. Sango crumpled, falling to her knees. Salty tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. They mixed with the long strands of her hair that blew across her face from high atop her head. Hiraikotsu lay forgotten behind her and she didn't even notice the slight pinch her youkai bone armor gave her as she fell.
Miroku came to her side and enfolded her in his arms, letting her cry her heart out in his chest. He soothed her by rubbing his hands up and down her arms and with words that made no sense to her addled mind. The tones were ones of comfort and sorrow and reassurance. She soaked up those feelings like a new sapling just broken through the ground to feel the sun for the first time, basking in their glory and finding solace.
Inuyasha scanned the village and scented the air. The same awful scent that enveloped Naraku also permeated the village but it was old. Nothing was fresh--not the carnage, the fire or the blood. Nothing new had come here in weeks. It was definitely Naraku's doing however. He growled silently and began to pace the perimeter of the village, alert for signs of Naraku's or his underlings' return. The bastard would love to gloat!
Kagome watched in silence, unable to do anything. She was stunned by the carnage and paralyzed by hints and wisps of memories of her own horror--the screams, the sounds of flesh tearing and of blood splattering. The loss of those she knew and loved ached again in her heart, not nearly as strong as six years ago but still there nonetheless. She knew what it was like to loose people she cared about and she did not wish that pain on Sango.
When Inuyasha finally came back to their group, Kagome found that she could move again and went to comfort Sango. She and Miroku were able to get Sango to stand and slowly begin to breathe, quieting her sobs until they were no more. Sango moved to a building off to the right and stared at it.
“Hanako just had a baby boy. She and her husband were happy and great new parents.” Sango looked sadly at the house. She scanned the ground nearby to see if she could identify any of the remains as theirs but the bones where too scattered. “Kenta was afraid to leave Hanako and the baby so soon but my father said we needed him for the job. He never got to see them again, never got to say goodbye.”
Sango knew every man, woman and child that lived in her village. As the leader's daughter and his oldest child, she was well known by everyone and well loved. She not only spent her days fighting youkai but also helped with the regular chores. She heard every bit of gossip about that young man and this woman and whom was about to wed or have a child. Every person of her community was a part of her life and now they were gone, taken away before their times by Naraku.
She did not doubt anymore that he was behind it. It was too perfect of an attack. Her mind offered the only enemy available: Naraku. The evil bastard! No one else would have stooped so low as to kill off an entire village.
Sango bent her head backwards and looked up at the sky. Rational thought descended as the shock slowly crept away. She would pay Naraku back but first, there were two places she needed to check out. If, for any reason, the village was attacked, the people were suppose to go to one of two meeting places and await for the return of the warriors. If they hurried, and divided the work, they could check them before night fell.
Sango turned to her worried companions. “We need to split up and check for survivors. There are two places we were all told to go if the village was attacked while the warriors were away. Miroku and I will head to one and you two can go to the other. I'll give you a map. If we're quick, we can make it there before nightfall. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning: all of us if there is no one hiding or just one of us while the other stays with the villagers.”
The other three nodded. Sango set down her pack and searched for the map she knew was there. Once she found it, she gave it to Kagome and pointed out how to get to the hiding place. It was a small cavern located behind a waterfall two and a half ri from the village. Likewise, the hiding spot Sango would go to was also two and a half ri away but was an underground cavern--the entrance hidden by foliage along the side of a small river.
The distance was quite far but the Taijiya had developed a good system that usually gave advanced warning of an impending attack. Sango was sure that no advanced warning was given this time, considering the massive destruction and how many bones lay on the ground. But she had to check, just in case someone was able to make it out alive and ran to the caverns--where plenty of food, water and medicinal herbs were hidden. And since both caverns were close to water sources, youkai couldn't track them through scent.
After making a final check of their supplies, Sango took Miroku's hand and headed off to their cavern. They moved as quickly as they could--on alert. They watched for any strange movements in the trees and bushes and kept an eye out for any foot prints, human or otherwise. It took them almost three hours at that pace.
When they were only ten minutes away, Sango slowed enough to walk as silently as she could, waving at Miroku to do the same. She headed through the river--to hide their scent in case any youkai were around. She searched for any sign of recent activity from humans along the banks but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Keeping a low profile, they headed straight for the foliage that hid the entrance. After carefully moving the branches of a tree out of the way, Sango stepped over an out cropping of bushes and rocks. Miroku followed.
The cavern was dark and slick with water that dripped from stalactites. Sango felt against the wall and found several torch hooks empty. If anyone had been there, torches would have been lit so no one would fall on the uneven and slick ground.
She sighed sadly. No one had come here during the attack. It was empty except for them. She hoped Kagome and Inuyasha had better luck. She hoped that somewhere, some of the village people were safe and alive. For now, she retrieved the torches and lit them and showed Miroku where they could make their beds for the night. As for dinner, it would be whatever stores where in the cavern and the little meat they had left in their packs from breakfast.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha kept glancing at the sun, nervous. It was getting late and they still hadn't found the cavern. Kagome rode on his back, secured by his arms wrapped around her legs. They should have made it to the cavern by now. They had only a short time before the sun would be gone.
“Inuyasha, we should slow down and look at the map again.”
“Keh. I know where we're going.”
“The sun is starting to set. We should have already made it there.”
“I know!” Inuyasha huffed. He did not need Kagome to tell him yet again. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings. The sharpness of his sense of smell was waning, his eye sight was dimming and Kagome was becoming a lot heavier. He hated this night.
Pushing onward, Inuyasha found a second wind and put on an extra dash of speed. Kagome scrambled to grab onto his shoulders to keep herself seated with a small squeak. His ears twitched constantly as his hearing became sharp and then dulled repeatedly.
He missed the signs and tripped on what he thought was a tree root sticking out of the ground. He caught Kagome when she was flung before she hit the ground and landed hard on his back, Kagome nestled safely on his chest. He felt a sharp prick on his ankle, enough to draw blood. Instead of focusing on his wound, Inuyasha ran his hands over Kagome's body to make sure she was fine.
“What happened?” Kagome asked in a slight daze.
Inuyasha couldn't look her in the eyes, embarrassed that he had tripped over a small root. “Don't worry about it. You're safe.”
“Yes, I know. But what did you trip over?”
“I didn't trip.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I didn't trip!”
Inuyasha roughly put Kagome on the ground next him and stood. Immediately, his ankle throbbed and he couldn't put weight on his foot. Involuntarily, he cried out. Kagome grasped him. She wrapped an arm around his torso and draped one of his over her shoulders to hold him up.
“You're hurt. You can't walk like this. We need to find a place to stay.” Kagome didn't stop to think about how he could possibly be hurt from such a small thing.
“It'll heal soon,” Inuyasha said and looked up at the sky. It wouldn't. It was too late. The sun had almost disappeared from the horizon. He felt the change begin, the last rays of the sun painting his silver tinged black hair in mixed shades of orange, pink, red and coral.
Kagome urged them to walk a few steps, both their heads bent to watch the ground for anything else that may prove fatal to their lives. She heard a rustling and paused, pulling Inuyasha up short. She looked to the right and left of her quickly, scanning for any signs of what made the sound. There was nothing.
They began to walk again, hoping to be close to the cavern. The noise came again. This time, Kagome sped up to try and distance them from the sounds. They loped awkwardly another few steps. A hiss came from in front of them. Kagome looked up and gazed at the pale slitted eyes of a snake youkai. It sat coiled in their path, it's head the size of both Kagome's hands combined. It flicked it's tongue out at them and prepared to strike.
Inuyasha moved with the last of his youkai strength and pushed them out of the way. The snake landed where they had been, harmless for the moment. He realized it was the snake he had felt--the snake's fangs as it bit him on his ankle. Kagome hauled him back up and began to run, albeit awkwardly, as best as they could.
She felt a cool breeze stir her hair just off to her right and turned them in that direction. She breathed a sigh of relief when they stumbled upon a river. They followed it down, glancing periodically behind them to see if the snake followed. It did, a bit slower than they expected. Kagome picked up the pace and heard the sounds of a water fall. Inuyasha started to slump forward. His weight became too heavy for her to hold.
“Come on, just a little bit farther now. We can make it,” she whispered to him. He didn't hear her.
She pushed him back into place and made her way to the waterfall, wading into the natural pool without a care. The snake stopped short of the water's edge and hissed. It coiled on the bank and watched them unhappily. Kagome moved forward steadily--the water taking some of Inuyasha's weight off her. She moved just beyond the waterfall and found the cavern they had been looking for all this time.
Carefully, Kagome walked out of the water, taking on Inuyasha's full weight with a small grunt. She laid him down on the slick cavern floor then felt around the walls. Sango had said that their were supplies hidden in the cavern, that torches would be close to the entrance so they could be lit to light to way. She found them without much trouble and dug around in her pack. Taking out two flint rocks, she banged them against each other to create sparks. When the torch caught, she quickly placed it in the holder on the cavern's wall and lit two more of the eight total torches. It was just enough to see the surrounding area. The cavern appeared to go much deeper but she did not want to get lost. Instead, she focused her energy on Inuyasha.
Kagome turned back to him only to gasp in shock. He lay where she had left him, his breath labored, skin sweating, his silver hair turned to black and no inu ears atop his head. What had happened to him? It could not be from a simple fall and an injured ankle.
Kagome moved towards Inuyasha with determination. She wasn't going to let him die. She took his injured ankle into her hand and inspected it. Standing out against his pale skin were twin angry red spots. Was this the snake's doing?
Thinking quickly, Kagome took the small pot she carried and filled it with the waterfall's cool water. She placed it in the circle of light she had created with the torches and then dragged Inuyasha's body over to it. She retrieved and rolled her other set of clothes up and carefully placed Inuyasha's head on the makeshift pillow. Once she thought he was comfortable?at least as comfortable as he could get--she walked back over to the entrance of the cavern.
Digging deep within herself, Kagome sought out her power. She found and followed a thread that led her to a powerful miko chant to keep out evil. The power hummed through her, sending sparks down her veins and a slight dizzying rush to her head. The entrance glowed pink in the shape of a half dome and shimmered. She reinforced the barrier with hand symbols, placing a set on the left, right, top and bottom. Standing back, Kagome admired her work with a smile. She had done it quite well for her first time and was proud of herself for constructing it without Midoriko's help. She was finally getting a handle on her powers.
Moving back to Inuyasha, she gazed down at him with sad eyes. She desperately hoped that he was not seriously injured, that he would not die. She knelt next to him and tugged a cloth from her pack. Her hand shook slightly as she used it to bathe his face with the cool water from the waterfall. It was all she could do to bring down the fever that had set in. Unfortunately, Kagome did not feel comfortable going deeper into the cavern to find the medicinal herbs Sango said were stored there. And her miko powers were not yet ready to taken on so sick a person. This would have to do till morning.
Inuyasha felt like his skin was burning from the inside out. His mind raced with all the things he should have done and the things he should have avoided until after this night. It was a well kept secret of his and now it was out. He couldn't comprehend what that would do to their relationship.
Suddenly, his body was washed in sweat. His mind grew fuzzy until he couldn't think anymore. He tried hard to keep in control but the burning fire grew more heated until all he felt were flames. Flames that danced and flickered and took him to another place and time.
Inuyasha sat longingly gazing out at the yard around him. His mother, just a few yards away, lay on the floor in the room behind him, crying as her father berated her for the crime she had committed--of having a hanyou child. He had shoved Izayoi to the ground, yelling at her for showing her face at his house after he had forbidden her return.
Inuyasha flattened his ears against his head. He tried to drown out the fighting but it was hard. He hated hearing his mother's tears, hated seeing her hurt in any way. Where was his father? Where was Inutaisho?
A small figured approached him tentatively, taking his attention away from his mother. A human boy, no older than he at seven, walked up to him and gave him a small smile. Fear wafted from him in small doses but curiosity lent him courage to talk to Inuyasha.
“Do you want to play with me?” the boy asked.
Inuyasha nodded, unable to speak for fear of frightening the boy away with his fangs. The bold boy came up to him and grabbed his hand, unmindful of the claws. He tugged Inuyasha with him until they came to a small field that housed all kinds of toys. There, the boy let go of his hand and ran over to a ball. He picked it up and, laughing, threw it an Inuyasha. Inuyasha caught it and tossed it back to him, happy to have a real friend. His first friend.
It wasn't until several days later that Inuyasha felt like something was wrong. His father hadn't come back to get them yet and his mother stayed inside her room all day. Satoshi, the boy who befriended him, walked up to Inuyasha with his head down and his fists clenched tight. He couldn't smell any salty tears from the boy so Satoshi wasn't crying. But something was wrong with him.
Inuyasha moved towards Satoshi, happy to play with him again and blot out whatever was bothering the boy. Satoshi pulled away and ran from him. Not knowing what to do, Inuyasha floowed after Satoshi. It was an interesting game of chase. He laughed with excitement and joy.
He didn't notice when Satoshi pulled up short or the fact that they were now behind his grandfather's palace. Inuyasha's smile faltered as he came to a halt facing a group of slightly older boys--about ten or eleven years old. It came back when he thought the older boys wanted to play too.
“Good job, Otouto,” the eldest said and patted Satoshi's back.
Satoshi looked up at Inuyasha with hate filled eyes. Inuyasha took a step back, his smile falling from his face and fear clouding his mind. Something wasn't right, just as he had suspected earlier. Satoshi had never before faced him with hate. What could have happened to make the boy turn on him?
Inuyasha turned to run but didn't get far when another boy caught him. He struggled against the boy, his mother's warning about not using his full strength against humans echoing in his mind. The boy grinned and only held him tighter.
Satoshi's older brother walked calmly up to him. He grinned down at Inuyasha with superiority and fisted his hand. He made sure Inuyasha was watching when he pulled back his arm and threw a punch to Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha closed his eyes and flattened his ears against his skull, already knowing the punch was going to hurt but unable to stop him. His mother's warning kept ringing in his ears. He did not want to hurt these children.
Satoshi followed his brother's lead as the rest of the boys joined in. They hit and punched and kicked Inuyasha fiercely, shouting names at him. Tears gathered in Inuyasha's eyes but he would not dignify the boys with his response. He mourned the loss of his friend, Satoshi, hardening his heart against people like him. The physical wounds would heal in no time but Inuyasha made sure that every moment of his torture was ingrained in his heart. He would never forget.
A sharp kick to his ribs made Inuyasha cry out against his will, loud enough that his mother heard him. She came running out of her room and behind the palace with speed born from the instinct to protect her child, her kimono barely tied around her slim figure. She swatted at the children, scattering them away from her son, and gingerly pick Inuyasha up. Izayoi vowed never to let anyone hurt him again.
Outraged that her father and nephews could be so cruel, Izayoi returned to her room to care for her son. Within the hour, she and Inuyasha were gone, never to be seen by her father again. Now, she just hoped her husband would find them before something else happened.
And all Inuyasha could think was why. Why would the boy he befriended turn on him? Why did they hate him so much? Why was he the one kicked and punched and tormented? But no answer was forth coming. Instead, Inuyasha knew he had to protect himself. He was the only one who could do it. From now on, he vowed he wouldn't let anyone into his heart. He would not fall prey to betrayal again.
A wash of something cool grazed Inuyasha's face then went away. He turned his head toward it, wishing the cool comfort would stay longer as his mind came back to the present, blotting out those hateful memories.
Kagome refused to let her tears fall. In his fevered haze, Inuyasha did not know that he had shared that indecent with Satoshi with her. Somehow, her powers were tuned into him. She relived every moment of that betrayal right alongside Inuyasha, seeing through his eyes and feeling his thoughts and emotions. Betrayal ran deep in his life. He could never get a break.
She ached to hold him, to comfort him and lend her own strength to his battered soul. She wanted to show him that life wasn't always like that. But all she could do now was to make him as comfortable as possible. Kagome turned back to her task of keeping him cool.
Inuyasha heard something dip under water and then rung out a little. The soft cool cloth came back across his face a few minutes later, this time dripping water down his neck. After a few passes, he felt the cloth leave and heard it being place in the the water--to rest. He felt himself being moved. His clothes rustled and the cool air hit his flesh. Kagome was removing his clothes.
When she reached his pants, he felt her hands hesitate. Her body heat flared a bit before settling back down and then her hands were on him again, carefully pulling his legs free of his hakama after untying the knot. She sat by his foot, the one that had been injured, and took it into her lap to exam it.
Kagome gaze upon the foot with dismay. The ankle was swollen and a fiery red trail extended out from the snake bite up his leg in a fine spiderweb like fashion. The snake was poisonous and the poison was spreading quickly. She did not know how to get it out of his body and, at the rate it was going, it would consume him by morning. She felt tears come to her eyes again but she refused to let them fall. Not yet. She would not turn into a blubbering idiot when she still had some time before he would die. She could do something for him with the hours that were ahead.
Kagome laid out Inuyasha's clothes like a blanket and then carefully placed him on top--cushion his body from the hard ground and allow her better access to bathe his skin. She then went back to his head and placed it in her lap, taking up the cloth again.
His breathing was labored and his heart pounded out of control. To calm him down, Kagome grasped one of his hands in hers and brought her mouth down to his very human ear. She whispered sweet comforting words to him, her chin quivering ever so slightly as the emotions surfaced again, refusing to stay where she had locked them.
She didn't love him. It was too soon for that. But the emotion that welled up was the first blushing bloom of such love. If they had more time, she knew it would change and grow and become exactly as she had wished it to be all along. No one had moved her like Inuyasha had. She prayed they would have the chance to continue on their path together, to fully explore what marriage would bring them and what joys would come after the hurdles they would face together. In the mean time, she comforted him as best she could, alternating from speaking to him and bathing him in the col water until he was able to fall into a fitful sleep. No more nightmarish dreams came.
Kagome lost track of what hour it was, only marking time by how fast the red spiderweb spread up his body. When it reached his hips, Inuyasha stirred. He mumbled something to her.
“What is it?” she asked kindly.
He gripped her hand tighter and waited until her face was only a few inches from his. “Your scent...is comforting. Your presence is...comforting too.” He spoke as if his tongue was too thick for his mouth, slow and stilted with pauses.
“My scent?” she asked, taken aback.
He moved his head in the tiniest nod she had every seen. “It's so...different...for anyone else's. So pleasant. It makes me,” he swallowed roughly, “wonder where...it's from.”
He settled back down and left Kagome stunned. Apparently, he loved her scent. She had found another layer to him. He never voiced aloud his true feelings, keeping them hidden deep inside and only acknowledging them when he wasn't able to control his own thoughts and speech. He used it as a shield, to pushed people away as best he could. Well, she wouldn't leave. He would just have to deal with it.
Kagome smiled happily, her eyes drooping and her mind tiring. The journey had been long and the chase had worn her out, especially since they hadn't had anything to eat since lunch. She found her eyes closing while her head dipped
down, a cheek came to rest on one of Inuyasha's. She was asleep in a matter of minutes, her hand still tightly gripped in Inuyasha's.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha came awake with a start. He jerked his hand out of Kagome's and tried to look around. Kagome's head was in the way. In a gentle gesture that was unlike him, he moved slowly and sat up. He twisted around and placed Kagome on his clothes.
After he moved a safe distance form her, he examined his body. The red spiderweb was almost to his heart. His skin was pale but it no longer held the great heat from just a few short hours ago. He was hungry and sore. But his strength was returning.
Inuyasha looked over at the entrance to the cavern, seeing a few small gray rays of light beyond the barrier Kagome had erected. It was a powerful barrier. One which he had never seen the like before. He gazed at Kagome over his should. No wonder Kagome was so tired. To have exhausted all her strength putting that up then taking care of him, it was a miracle she was only sleeping and not unconscious. It was also a wonder that she could continue to feed the barrier with her power while asleep. Most barriers became weak or disappeared altogether as the one feeding it lost their conscious hold on the power during sleep. Kagome's barrier held strong and sure, never wavering or weakening.
Turning back to the entrance, Inuyasha felt more of his strength flood his veins. He felt the shift in his blood as his youkai side returned. His hair turned silver and his ears moved back atop his head then transformed into their normal state. He extended his hands and saw his short human nail extend to become his claws. And, though he couldn't see it, his eyes glowed brightly as they came back to the beautiful golden color Kagome liked so much.
While the changes transformed him back into hanyou, he felt the poison begin to recede. His natural healing abilities took over and closed the bite on his ankle, brought down the swelling, killed the poison and made him whole again.
With the clarity of a new day, and his restored health, Inuyasha remembered the things he said when he had awakened in the middle of the night, the nightmare he had relived. They made him blush and fluster with unknown feelings. How could he have said those deeply guarded secrets--while she was awake no less!
He turned, hearing Kagome stir, and realized he was still naked. Though the thought of her seeing his naked body was arousing, he didn't think it would sit well with her. Not with him fully healed and naked above her. His good health would be shock enough. Quietly, so as not to wake her further, he unrolled her bedroll, picked her up and placed her on it. After shaking out her rolled up kimono, he placed it on top of her like a blanket and then dressed.
The cavern was fairly large he found upon getting a clearer view. Through the meager light of the rising sun, he took in the winding tunnel in the back. His youkai blood gave him the advantage of seeing in the dark and when his curiosity got the better of him, nothing stopped him from exploring.
He was gone no more than thirty minutes and came back with some cheese and dried and salted fish. Though the attack was three weeks ago, the scent in the cavern indicated that someone had been here recently. The cool temperatures in the cavern made it ideal to store food for a few days. Someone else, other than the Taijiya, knew about this place. But for now, they were safe. He could not see or smell any fresh signs of the intruder. The scent was days old and he didn't think they would be coming back after discovering the barrier.
Inuyasha sat cross legged against the wall of the cavern, several feet away from Kagome. Before he could take his first bite of the fish, she began to stir again and woke slowly. He watched, fascinated, as she stretched her body languorously, the top half of the kimono drifting to her waist. Her breasts hitched up and her arms stretched over her head, giving him the perfect view of her upper body.
Inuyasha wanted to move farther away from her, watching her body with suspicious eyes, but he was already up against the wall. There was no where else for him to go. Her body tempted him in ways he had never felt--not even with Kikyou. He tried to look away. Yet his eyes kept straying back to her as she moved around restlessly. She suddenly bolted upright and he quickly turned his head, in an attempt to make it seem as if he had not been staring at her.
Kagome's heart pounded in her ears. Her breathing grew uneven and fast. Dread consumed her. She did not want to look down and find Inuyasha dead. She looked down slowly at where she lay, noticing for the first time that Inuyasha was not near her. Frantic, she turned her head in every direction to find him. If he wasn't stone cold dead beside, where could he be? Did he awaken again last night and crawl away, plunging to his death in the river?
Finally gazing out to the side, she caught a bit of red from the back wall. Thank Kami-sama! He sat against the cavern's wall, back to normal and alive. The relief washed over her in a dizzying wave. When it left, her mind finally comprehended that he was hanyou again. His silver hair was back. And his eyes were golden, not a deep pool of brown. And his ears! The urge to hop into his lap and rub them overwhelmed her. She held back, squashing the urge before she acted and embarrassed them both.
Kagome watched him turn his head to her, his face unreadable. “How...?” The words stuck in her throat. She was too shocked to speak.
Inuyasha shrugged. “My youkai blood started coming back at sunrise. My blood can heal me faster than a normal human.”
“But how come you were human last night?”
Inuyasha looked away. So she didn't know. He could just not answer her. Then his secret would be safe. But she would continue to bother him with the same question, shooting him hurt looks whenever he was turned away from her. And for some reason, he didn't want to hold secrets from her anymore. Inuyasha sighed. “All hanyou have one time a month where our youkai blood recedes, leaving only the human. Our appearance changes so we look human and all the special qualities our youkai blood gives us are gone. My day is the night of the new moon.”
“Why didn't you tell me?” Kagome asked, upset and yet relieved. The snake wasn't what caused his change. Only the natural rhythm of his body. “I would have made sure we waited an extra day before going to the village.”
Inuyasha looked her in the eye, deadly serious. “I haven't told anyone about it. Even my parents don't know what day mine is. It's a curse. We become vulnerable and if anyone found out, we could be killed. Too many people hate hanyou for us to go telling our secrets. So don't tell anyone.”
“I wont,” she said and shook her head. “But don't you think Sango and Miroku should know? They'll be traveling with us for a while.” Kagome became silent when Inuyasha shook his head vehemently.
“No. No one else. Ever.”
Kagome's relief and their argument was cut short. A sharp thwack rang throughout the cavern and both turned their attention to the sound. A blurred figure stood by the barrier, hitting it with something they couldn't identify.
Kagome stood slowly, unsure of what to do. She had been training for the last few weeks but she was not yet ready for a true battle. And Inuyasha was just healed after the attack last night. They could not fight properly. Yet she watched, unbelieving, as Inuyasha brought up a hand, cracked his knuckles and prepared to meet there attacker--all while she stood frozen, afraid for their lives, and the barrier flickered and faded.
In front of them stood a tall youkai. He was a mix of two beings--snake and bat--all wrapped up in a humanoid form. Kagome shivered. It gave her the creeps. The face stared at her with pale snake eyes while it's arms, which held bat like wings attached to them, were still positioned with a tree branch grasped in his hands in mid swing. The snake from last night curled itself on the bank of the river, just a few yards away.
Shaken out of her stupor by the pounding of her heart and the very real danger, Kagome quickly gathered the clothes from the ground around them and stuffed them in her pack. She then placed the pack on her back, ready to run when given the chance. Inuyasha stood menacingly, watching the intruder as he slowly lowered the tree branch.
“You have been very hard to find,” the snake-bat youkai hissed. “I do not like games.” He drew out the s and his tongue flicked out. The action sent shivers up Kagome's spine. It was creepy.
Without warning, he dropped the tree branch and lunged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha grinned and met him half way, his claws extended at the intruder's face.
“Sankon Tetsusou,” he yelled and slashed down. The youkai intruder dodged, using his wings to help move farther away.
“Keh,” Inuyasha huffed. This would be no easy kill. He launched himself into frenzied attacks, never letting up. The intruder dodge easily and lured Inuyasha outside the cavern.
They stood face to face on the river bank. Kagome surveyed their fight in stunned silence, helpless. Since the start of her training, her power had given her hope and security. Helplessness was a feeling she was familiar with, recalling the day Naraku attacked her home, and she never wanted to relive that again.
Inuyasha crouched, twitching his fingers and readying his claws. He pulled up his lips and allowed his fangs to glint off the sun. He growled menacingly and prepared himself for the right moment. The youkai shifted ever so slightly and Inuyasha pounced, his razor sharp claws coming down to finally tear flesh. Fresh blood splattered on the ground. The intruder only grinned back in return.
Inuyasha jumped away from the youkai and stared at him, confused. The forgotten snake slithered silently through the grass. It wound its way up Inuyasha's foot and leg until its head rested against Inuyasha's hip. The youkai's head moved a tiny fraction and the snake bit down hard on the tend flesh of Inuyasha's hip.
With his prey distracted, trying to find the now retreating snake, the youkai moved in. He brandished a dagger from his back and stabbed Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha hissed in pain and swiped his claws against the youkai. The youkai dodged, falling back to a safe distance to watch Inuyasha roughly remove the dagger and throw it to the ground.
Kagome stood stock still in horror. Then furry overtook her. How dare that youkai use such an underhanded trick! She stared at the snake through a pink sparking haze. Her blood boiled. Without thought, her hand came up and she speared the snake completely through three times with glowing pink bolts before slashing the head off for good measure.
Her anger spent, Kagome felt her legs give way under her and her body crumple to the ground. Inuyasha stared, his eyes wide, then ran to catch her before her head could hit the ground. The youkai was faster. He clasped Kagome to him and leveled his claws to Kagome's throat. Her eyes never fluttered open and her chest moved rhythmically, albeit slowly. She was unconscious.
Enraged, Inuyasha forgot about the snake bite and its poison that coursed through his blood yet again. He gouged his claws into the dagger wound on his chest viciously, letting the blood thoroughly coat his claws. He ran a few steps, giving himself a small flash of momentum. “Hijin Ketsusou!” he yelled and brought his hand out towards the youkai's head, his blood scattering across the ground. Several blood red blades cut the youkai's head, one severing it from his body.
Inuyasha ran to Kagome as she fell a final time and caught her just before she met the ground. His hands were everywhere at once, touching her to make sure everything was in the right place. Thankfully, the youkai hadn't had time to harm her.
Cradling her in his arms, He walked over to the river and sat down with her head pillowed in his lap. He let the rest of her body lay beside him and carefully splashed cool water onto her face. She didn't move. He checked again to make sure she was breathing. She was. He realized then that the use of such power, untrained, had exhausted her beyond her endurance. She only slept. Not dead.
He breathed a sigh of relief and, now with the danger gone, waited for her to waken. Once she was conscious again, they would head back to the Taijiya village to meet up with their companions.
O o O o O o O o O
Naraku cursed violently and paced, his plans ruined yet again. His first true test of mind control had worked. The snake-bat youkai had done everything he order. He was just upset it was over so soon. Coming across the hanyou bastard and the girl alone had been sheer luck.
Distance was still an issue--he could only be eight ri away--but at lest he could now control the subject while moving his body around. Overall, it was a very satisfying test. The problem was that he had had the perfect opportunity to grab the girl and it slipped through his fingers, all because his test subject wasn't very powerful.
Naraku stopped short of completing his last pace, standing dead center in the room. He turned his gaze to the door, scenting the air and reveling in the fear. Just outside stood a nervous servant, ready to take his breakfast order. Smiling in glee, he whipped out a tentacle and bashed the shoji door, grabbing the human servant. Amid the screams and the blood, Naraku laughed--his furry finally found an outlet. To bad he would not be able to come back to this quaint little town again. The villagers were so much fun to play with.
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Author's Note: In case you haven't gone to my profile, I'm state my update here as well. I have reviewed the previous chapters and reedited them, fixing some spelling and grammatical errors and changed some sentence structures to better express what I had originally wanted. You do not need to reread all the chapters. I do suggest you go back to Chapter 7 and reread the last bit (I've rewritten the ending since it felt a bit rushed to me and not what I wanted at all.) I'm also sorry for how late Chapter 8 is. I decided to take a short hiatus in order to come back to it with a fresh mind. I will also post Chapter 9 before the spring semester starts for me in mid January. I can't make any promises about Chapter 10, but I promise again that I will not give up on this story. I will finish it. Thank you to those who have stuck around.
Definitions:
1 ri = 2.440 miles – In this chapter, I use the old Japanese measuring system to measure distances. The old system was used since it's development?in China then brought to Japan?until 1926 where it was converted into the metric system and then banned from all official use on March 31, 1966.
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 8: Curse of the New Moon
Sango walked silently beside her companions, nervous and afraid. The last week and a half had passed without incident and now, just less than an hour away, the fate of her village would be revealed.
She looked at Kagome, concern darkening her eyes and a small portion of her heart. The poor girl had been through quite a bit on this trip. She had finally told them about her nightly practices the morning after she had come back with Inuyasha, upset and silent. It was amazing how she could use her powers to that extent in so short a time. Sango promised to help her practice, both archery and katana sparing, to simulate real battle and prepare her.
She watched as the girl attempted many times to talk to Inuyasha over the past week and a half but to no avail. Inuyasha would not listen and now Kagome walked in silent defeat. After all this was done, Sango planned to give Inuyasha a good piece of her mind and make them sit down together--alone--for once. She could not stand seeing Kagome hurt.
A pink glow suddenly flashed before them. They stopped and starred at the transparent figure of a woman.
“We are close,” she said by way of greeting.
“Midoriko,” Kagome said in slight startlement. She had not called for Midoriko nor felt Midoriko call out to her.
Midoriko bowed her head slightly to the other three people then looked over to Kagome. “There is a cave beyond the village proper, where metal used to be mined. If you cannot find anything in the village, look there. That is where the last battle took place, where the Shikon no Tama was created.”
“Hai. We understand.”
Midoriko disappeared after bowing again to everyone. Sango blinked rapidly, unsure whether she had really seen Midoriko. It was like looking at her village's past. Midoriko held a striking resemblance to several families in her village--families she hoped were safe.
They quickened their pace, just enough to get them to the village faster without sacrificing the need to be cautious. Nothing seemed out of place to Sango so far. The forest sang with birds, the trees and underbrush were undisturbed and the ground they trekked over didn't hold any other foot prints. A typical normal day.
They slowed as they reached a clearing. Sango held her breath, afraid of what she might find. All the images that came to her mind, all the different scenarios she had run through her head on this trip did not prepare her for the sight that met her deep brown eyes. She could not make her feet move. Her breathing stilled and her heart pounded, rushing to her ears in a wave that drowned out all other noise.
The wooden wall, made out of thick tree trunks spiked at the ends, barely stood. There were holes where the wall had caught fire and places where several of the tree trunks had been shoved--to let something in or out was hard to tell. The sole gate somehow stood spike side down several yards away. The ground around the wall was littered with debris--rusty colored trails of blood, scattered wood and many bones.
As Sango walked closer, she could see into the village through the holes in the wall. The houses were destroyed--most of them burnt to the ground. Not a single soul was around. She assumed everyone had been killed or, if they were lucky, had escaped just in time.
With tears in her eyes, she made her way through the village. Kagome, Miroku and Inuyasha followed her lead and on guard. She took in every last detail--from the tiny skeletal hands of children, thrown haphazardly around the village, to the destroyed buildings and gardens and splotches of blood that coated everything like rain water after a storm.
Her village, her home, was gone. Just as Naraku had said. But it wasn't Inuyasha's doing. That was imposable. Whoever had come to destroy her village had done it when she and the rest of the warriors were out. Did Naraku set all this up, just to manipulate her?
The thought was too much. Sango crumpled, falling to her knees. Salty tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. They mixed with the long strands of her hair that blew across her face from high atop her head. Hiraikotsu lay forgotten behind her and she didn't even notice the slight pinch her youkai bone armor gave her as she fell.
Miroku came to her side and enfolded her in his arms, letting her cry her heart out in his chest. He soothed her by rubbing his hands up and down her arms and with words that made no sense to her addled mind. The tones were ones of comfort and sorrow and reassurance. She soaked up those feelings like a new sapling just broken through the ground to feel the sun for the first time, basking in their glory and finding solace.
Inuyasha scanned the village and scented the air. The same awful scent that enveloped Naraku also permeated the village but it was old. Nothing was fresh--not the carnage, the fire or the blood. Nothing new had come here in weeks. It was definitely Naraku's doing however. He growled silently and began to pace the perimeter of the village, alert for signs of Naraku's or his underlings' return. The bastard would love to gloat!
Kagome watched in silence, unable to do anything. She was stunned by the carnage and paralyzed by hints and wisps of memories of her own horror--the screams, the sounds of flesh tearing and of blood splattering. The loss of those she knew and loved ached again in her heart, not nearly as strong as six years ago but still there nonetheless. She knew what it was like to loose people she cared about and she did not wish that pain on Sango.
When Inuyasha finally came back to their group, Kagome found that she could move again and went to comfort Sango. She and Miroku were able to get Sango to stand and slowly begin to breathe, quieting her sobs until they were no more. Sango moved to a building off to the right and stared at it.
“Hanako just had a baby boy. She and her husband were happy and great new parents.” Sango looked sadly at the house. She scanned the ground nearby to see if she could identify any of the remains as theirs but the bones where too scattered. “Kenta was afraid to leave Hanako and the baby so soon but my father said we needed him for the job. He never got to see them again, never got to say goodbye.”
Sango knew every man, woman and child that lived in her village. As the leader's daughter and his oldest child, she was well known by everyone and well loved. She not only spent her days fighting youkai but also helped with the regular chores. She heard every bit of gossip about that young man and this woman and whom was about to wed or have a child. Every person of her community was a part of her life and now they were gone, taken away before their times by Naraku.
She did not doubt anymore that he was behind it. It was too perfect of an attack. Her mind offered the only enemy available: Naraku. The evil bastard! No one else would have stooped so low as to kill off an entire village.
Sango bent her head backwards and looked up at the sky. Rational thought descended as the shock slowly crept away. She would pay Naraku back but first, there were two places she needed to check out. If, for any reason, the village was attacked, the people were suppose to go to one of two meeting places and await for the return of the warriors. If they hurried, and divided the work, they could check them before night fell.
Sango turned to her worried companions. “We need to split up and check for survivors. There are two places we were all told to go if the village was attacked while the warriors were away. Miroku and I will head to one and you two can go to the other. I'll give you a map. If we're quick, we can make it there before nightfall. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning: all of us if there is no one hiding or just one of us while the other stays with the villagers.”
The other three nodded. Sango set down her pack and searched for the map she knew was there. Once she found it, she gave it to Kagome and pointed out how to get to the hiding place. It was a small cavern located behind a waterfall two and a half ri from the village. Likewise, the hiding spot Sango would go to was also two and a half ri away but was an underground cavern--the entrance hidden by foliage along the side of a small river.
The distance was quite far but the Taijiya had developed a good system that usually gave advanced warning of an impending attack. Sango was sure that no advanced warning was given this time, considering the massive destruction and how many bones lay on the ground. But she had to check, just in case someone was able to make it out alive and ran to the caverns--where plenty of food, water and medicinal herbs were hidden. And since both caverns were close to water sources, youkai couldn't track them through scent.
After making a final check of their supplies, Sango took Miroku's hand and headed off to their cavern. They moved as quickly as they could--on alert. They watched for any strange movements in the trees and bushes and kept an eye out for any foot prints, human or otherwise. It took them almost three hours at that pace.
When they were only ten minutes away, Sango slowed enough to walk as silently as she could, waving at Miroku to do the same. She headed through the river--to hide their scent in case any youkai were around. She searched for any sign of recent activity from humans along the banks but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Keeping a low profile, they headed straight for the foliage that hid the entrance. After carefully moving the branches of a tree out of the way, Sango stepped over an out cropping of bushes and rocks. Miroku followed.
The cavern was dark and slick with water that dripped from stalactites. Sango felt against the wall and found several torch hooks empty. If anyone had been there, torches would have been lit so no one would fall on the uneven and slick ground.
She sighed sadly. No one had come here during the attack. It was empty except for them. She hoped Kagome and Inuyasha had better luck. She hoped that somewhere, some of the village people were safe and alive. For now, she retrieved the torches and lit them and showed Miroku where they could make their beds for the night. As for dinner, it would be whatever stores where in the cavern and the little meat they had left in their packs from breakfast.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha kept glancing at the sun, nervous. It was getting late and they still hadn't found the cavern. Kagome rode on his back, secured by his arms wrapped around her legs. They should have made it to the cavern by now. They had only a short time before the sun would be gone.
“Inuyasha, we should slow down and look at the map again.”
“Keh. I know where we're going.”
“The sun is starting to set. We should have already made it there.”
“I know!” Inuyasha huffed. He did not need Kagome to tell him yet again. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings. The sharpness of his sense of smell was waning, his eye sight was dimming and Kagome was becoming a lot heavier. He hated this night.
Pushing onward, Inuyasha found a second wind and put on an extra dash of speed. Kagome scrambled to grab onto his shoulders to keep herself seated with a small squeak. His ears twitched constantly as his hearing became sharp and then dulled repeatedly.
He missed the signs and tripped on what he thought was a tree root sticking out of the ground. He caught Kagome when she was flung before she hit the ground and landed hard on his back, Kagome nestled safely on his chest. He felt a sharp prick on his ankle, enough to draw blood. Instead of focusing on his wound, Inuyasha ran his hands over Kagome's body to make sure she was fine.
“What happened?” Kagome asked in a slight daze.
Inuyasha couldn't look her in the eyes, embarrassed that he had tripped over a small root. “Don't worry about it. You're safe.”
“Yes, I know. But what did you trip over?”
“I didn't trip.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I didn't trip!”
Inuyasha roughly put Kagome on the ground next him and stood. Immediately, his ankle throbbed and he couldn't put weight on his foot. Involuntarily, he cried out. Kagome grasped him. She wrapped an arm around his torso and draped one of his over her shoulders to hold him up.
“You're hurt. You can't walk like this. We need to find a place to stay.” Kagome didn't stop to think about how he could possibly be hurt from such a small thing.
“It'll heal soon,” Inuyasha said and looked up at the sky. It wouldn't. It was too late. The sun had almost disappeared from the horizon. He felt the change begin, the last rays of the sun painting his silver tinged black hair in mixed shades of orange, pink, red and coral.
Kagome urged them to walk a few steps, both their heads bent to watch the ground for anything else that may prove fatal to their lives. She heard a rustling and paused, pulling Inuyasha up short. She looked to the right and left of her quickly, scanning for any signs of what made the sound. There was nothing.
They began to walk again, hoping to be close to the cavern. The noise came again. This time, Kagome sped up to try and distance them from the sounds. They loped awkwardly another few steps. A hiss came from in front of them. Kagome looked up and gazed at the pale slitted eyes of a snake youkai. It sat coiled in their path, it's head the size of both Kagome's hands combined. It flicked it's tongue out at them and prepared to strike.
Inuyasha moved with the last of his youkai strength and pushed them out of the way. The snake landed where they had been, harmless for the moment. He realized it was the snake he had felt--the snake's fangs as it bit him on his ankle. Kagome hauled him back up and began to run, albeit awkwardly, as best as they could.
She felt a cool breeze stir her hair just off to her right and turned them in that direction. She breathed a sigh of relief when they stumbled upon a river. They followed it down, glancing periodically behind them to see if the snake followed. It did, a bit slower than they expected. Kagome picked up the pace and heard the sounds of a water fall. Inuyasha started to slump forward. His weight became too heavy for her to hold.
“Come on, just a little bit farther now. We can make it,” she whispered to him. He didn't hear her.
She pushed him back into place and made her way to the waterfall, wading into the natural pool without a care. The snake stopped short of the water's edge and hissed. It coiled on the bank and watched them unhappily. Kagome moved forward steadily--the water taking some of Inuyasha's weight off her. She moved just beyond the waterfall and found the cavern they had been looking for all this time.
Carefully, Kagome walked out of the water, taking on Inuyasha's full weight with a small grunt. She laid him down on the slick cavern floor then felt around the walls. Sango had said that their were supplies hidden in the cavern, that torches would be close to the entrance so they could be lit to light to way. She found them without much trouble and dug around in her pack. Taking out two flint rocks, she banged them against each other to create sparks. When the torch caught, she quickly placed it in the holder on the cavern's wall and lit two more of the eight total torches. It was just enough to see the surrounding area. The cavern appeared to go much deeper but she did not want to get lost. Instead, she focused her energy on Inuyasha.
Kagome turned back to him only to gasp in shock. He lay where she had left him, his breath labored, skin sweating, his silver hair turned to black and no inu ears atop his head. What had happened to him? It could not be from a simple fall and an injured ankle.
Kagome moved towards Inuyasha with determination. She wasn't going to let him die. She took his injured ankle into her hand and inspected it. Standing out against his pale skin were twin angry red spots. Was this the snake's doing?
Thinking quickly, Kagome took the small pot she carried and filled it with the waterfall's cool water. She placed it in the circle of light she had created with the torches and then dragged Inuyasha's body over to it. She retrieved and rolled her other set of clothes up and carefully placed Inuyasha's head on the makeshift pillow. Once she thought he was comfortable?at least as comfortable as he could get--she walked back over to the entrance of the cavern.
Digging deep within herself, Kagome sought out her power. She found and followed a thread that led her to a powerful miko chant to keep out evil. The power hummed through her, sending sparks down her veins and a slight dizzying rush to her head. The entrance glowed pink in the shape of a half dome and shimmered. She reinforced the barrier with hand symbols, placing a set on the left, right, top and bottom. Standing back, Kagome admired her work with a smile. She had done it quite well for her first time and was proud of herself for constructing it without Midoriko's help. She was finally getting a handle on her powers.
Moving back to Inuyasha, she gazed down at him with sad eyes. She desperately hoped that he was not seriously injured, that he would not die. She knelt next to him and tugged a cloth from her pack. Her hand shook slightly as she used it to bathe his face with the cool water from the waterfall. It was all she could do to bring down the fever that had set in. Unfortunately, Kagome did not feel comfortable going deeper into the cavern to find the medicinal herbs Sango said were stored there. And her miko powers were not yet ready to taken on so sick a person. This would have to do till morning.
Inuyasha felt like his skin was burning from the inside out. His mind raced with all the things he should have done and the things he should have avoided until after this night. It was a well kept secret of his and now it was out. He couldn't comprehend what that would do to their relationship.
Suddenly, his body was washed in sweat. His mind grew fuzzy until he couldn't think anymore. He tried hard to keep in control but the burning fire grew more heated until all he felt were flames. Flames that danced and flickered and took him to another place and time.
Inuyasha sat longingly gazing out at the yard around him. His mother, just a few yards away, lay on the floor in the room behind him, crying as her father berated her for the crime she had committed--of having a hanyou child. He had shoved Izayoi to the ground, yelling at her for showing her face at his house after he had forbidden her return.
Inuyasha flattened his ears against his head. He tried to drown out the fighting but it was hard. He hated hearing his mother's tears, hated seeing her hurt in any way. Where was his father? Where was Inutaisho?
A small figured approached him tentatively, taking his attention away from his mother. A human boy, no older than he at seven, walked up to him and gave him a small smile. Fear wafted from him in small doses but curiosity lent him courage to talk to Inuyasha.
“Do you want to play with me?” the boy asked.
Inuyasha nodded, unable to speak for fear of frightening the boy away with his fangs. The bold boy came up to him and grabbed his hand, unmindful of the claws. He tugged Inuyasha with him until they came to a small field that housed all kinds of toys. There, the boy let go of his hand and ran over to a ball. He picked it up and, laughing, threw it an Inuyasha. Inuyasha caught it and tossed it back to him, happy to have a real friend. His first friend.
It wasn't until several days later that Inuyasha felt like something was wrong. His father hadn't come back to get them yet and his mother stayed inside her room all day. Satoshi, the boy who befriended him, walked up to Inuyasha with his head down and his fists clenched tight. He couldn't smell any salty tears from the boy so Satoshi wasn't crying. But something was wrong with him.
Inuyasha moved towards Satoshi, happy to play with him again and blot out whatever was bothering the boy. Satoshi pulled away and ran from him. Not knowing what to do, Inuyasha floowed after Satoshi. It was an interesting game of chase. He laughed with excitement and joy.
He didn't notice when Satoshi pulled up short or the fact that they were now behind his grandfather's palace. Inuyasha's smile faltered as he came to a halt facing a group of slightly older boys--about ten or eleven years old. It came back when he thought the older boys wanted to play too.
“Good job, Otouto,” the eldest said and patted Satoshi's back.
Satoshi looked up at Inuyasha with hate filled eyes. Inuyasha took a step back, his smile falling from his face and fear clouding his mind. Something wasn't right, just as he had suspected earlier. Satoshi had never before faced him with hate. What could have happened to make the boy turn on him?
Inuyasha turned to run but didn't get far when another boy caught him. He struggled against the boy, his mother's warning about not using his full strength against humans echoing in his mind. The boy grinned and only held him tighter.
Satoshi's older brother walked calmly up to him. He grinned down at Inuyasha with superiority and fisted his hand. He made sure Inuyasha was watching when he pulled back his arm and threw a punch to Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha closed his eyes and flattened his ears against his skull, already knowing the punch was going to hurt but unable to stop him. His mother's warning kept ringing in his ears. He did not want to hurt these children.
Satoshi followed his brother's lead as the rest of the boys joined in. They hit and punched and kicked Inuyasha fiercely, shouting names at him. Tears gathered in Inuyasha's eyes but he would not dignify the boys with his response. He mourned the loss of his friend, Satoshi, hardening his heart against people like him. The physical wounds would heal in no time but Inuyasha made sure that every moment of his torture was ingrained in his heart. He would never forget.
A sharp kick to his ribs made Inuyasha cry out against his will, loud enough that his mother heard him. She came running out of her room and behind the palace with speed born from the instinct to protect her child, her kimono barely tied around her slim figure. She swatted at the children, scattering them away from her son, and gingerly pick Inuyasha up. Izayoi vowed never to let anyone hurt him again.
Outraged that her father and nephews could be so cruel, Izayoi returned to her room to care for her son. Within the hour, she and Inuyasha were gone, never to be seen by her father again. Now, she just hoped her husband would find them before something else happened.
And all Inuyasha could think was why. Why would the boy he befriended turn on him? Why did they hate him so much? Why was he the one kicked and punched and tormented? But no answer was forth coming. Instead, Inuyasha knew he had to protect himself. He was the only one who could do it. From now on, he vowed he wouldn't let anyone into his heart. He would not fall prey to betrayal again.
A wash of something cool grazed Inuyasha's face then went away. He turned his head toward it, wishing the cool comfort would stay longer as his mind came back to the present, blotting out those hateful memories.
Kagome refused to let her tears fall. In his fevered haze, Inuyasha did not know that he had shared that indecent with Satoshi with her. Somehow, her powers were tuned into him. She relived every moment of that betrayal right alongside Inuyasha, seeing through his eyes and feeling his thoughts and emotions. Betrayal ran deep in his life. He could never get a break.
She ached to hold him, to comfort him and lend her own strength to his battered soul. She wanted to show him that life wasn't always like that. But all she could do now was to make him as comfortable as possible. Kagome turned back to her task of keeping him cool.
Inuyasha heard something dip under water and then rung out a little. The soft cool cloth came back across his face a few minutes later, this time dripping water down his neck. After a few passes, he felt the cloth leave and heard it being place in the the water--to rest. He felt himself being moved. His clothes rustled and the cool air hit his flesh. Kagome was removing his clothes.
When she reached his pants, he felt her hands hesitate. Her body heat flared a bit before settling back down and then her hands were on him again, carefully pulling his legs free of his hakama after untying the knot. She sat by his foot, the one that had been injured, and took it into her lap to exam it.
Kagome gaze upon the foot with dismay. The ankle was swollen and a fiery red trail extended out from the snake bite up his leg in a fine spiderweb like fashion. The snake was poisonous and the poison was spreading quickly. She did not know how to get it out of his body and, at the rate it was going, it would consume him by morning. She felt tears come to her eyes again but she refused to let them fall. Not yet. She would not turn into a blubbering idiot when she still had some time before he would die. She could do something for him with the hours that were ahead.
Kagome laid out Inuyasha's clothes like a blanket and then carefully placed him on top--cushion his body from the hard ground and allow her better access to bathe his skin. She then went back to his head and placed it in her lap, taking up the cloth again.
His breathing was labored and his heart pounded out of control. To calm him down, Kagome grasped one of his hands in hers and brought her mouth down to his very human ear. She whispered sweet comforting words to him, her chin quivering ever so slightly as the emotions surfaced again, refusing to stay where she had locked them.
She didn't love him. It was too soon for that. But the emotion that welled up was the first blushing bloom of such love. If they had more time, she knew it would change and grow and become exactly as she had wished it to be all along. No one had moved her like Inuyasha had. She prayed they would have the chance to continue on their path together, to fully explore what marriage would bring them and what joys would come after the hurdles they would face together. In the mean time, she comforted him as best she could, alternating from speaking to him and bathing him in the col water until he was able to fall into a fitful sleep. No more nightmarish dreams came.
Kagome lost track of what hour it was, only marking time by how fast the red spiderweb spread up his body. When it reached his hips, Inuyasha stirred. He mumbled something to her.
“What is it?” she asked kindly.
He gripped her hand tighter and waited until her face was only a few inches from his. “Your scent...is comforting. Your presence is...comforting too.” He spoke as if his tongue was too thick for his mouth, slow and stilted with pauses.
“My scent?” she asked, taken aback.
He moved his head in the tiniest nod she had every seen. “It's so...different...for anyone else's. So pleasant. It makes me,” he swallowed roughly, “wonder where...it's from.”
He settled back down and left Kagome stunned. Apparently, he loved her scent. She had found another layer to him. He never voiced aloud his true feelings, keeping them hidden deep inside and only acknowledging them when he wasn't able to control his own thoughts and speech. He used it as a shield, to pushed people away as best he could. Well, she wouldn't leave. He would just have to deal with it.
Kagome smiled happily, her eyes drooping and her mind tiring. The journey had been long and the chase had worn her out, especially since they hadn't had anything to eat since lunch. She found her eyes closing while her head dipped
down, a cheek came to rest on one of Inuyasha's. She was asleep in a matter of minutes, her hand still tightly gripped in Inuyasha's.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha came awake with a start. He jerked his hand out of Kagome's and tried to look around. Kagome's head was in the way. In a gentle gesture that was unlike him, he moved slowly and sat up. He twisted around and placed Kagome on his clothes.
After he moved a safe distance form her, he examined his body. The red spiderweb was almost to his heart. His skin was pale but it no longer held the great heat from just a few short hours ago. He was hungry and sore. But his strength was returning.
Inuyasha looked over at the entrance to the cavern, seeing a few small gray rays of light beyond the barrier Kagome had erected. It was a powerful barrier. One which he had never seen the like before. He gazed at Kagome over his should. No wonder Kagome was so tired. To have exhausted all her strength putting that up then taking care of him, it was a miracle she was only sleeping and not unconscious. It was also a wonder that she could continue to feed the barrier with her power while asleep. Most barriers became weak or disappeared altogether as the one feeding it lost their conscious hold on the power during sleep. Kagome's barrier held strong and sure, never wavering or weakening.
Turning back to the entrance, Inuyasha felt more of his strength flood his veins. He felt the shift in his blood as his youkai side returned. His hair turned silver and his ears moved back atop his head then transformed into their normal state. He extended his hands and saw his short human nail extend to become his claws. And, though he couldn't see it, his eyes glowed brightly as they came back to the beautiful golden color Kagome liked so much.
While the changes transformed him back into hanyou, he felt the poison begin to recede. His natural healing abilities took over and closed the bite on his ankle, brought down the swelling, killed the poison and made him whole again.
With the clarity of a new day, and his restored health, Inuyasha remembered the things he said when he had awakened in the middle of the night, the nightmare he had relived. They made him blush and fluster with unknown feelings. How could he have said those deeply guarded secrets--while she was awake no less!
He turned, hearing Kagome stir, and realized he was still naked. Though the thought of her seeing his naked body was arousing, he didn't think it would sit well with her. Not with him fully healed and naked above her. His good health would be shock enough. Quietly, so as not to wake her further, he unrolled her bedroll, picked her up and placed her on it. After shaking out her rolled up kimono, he placed it on top of her like a blanket and then dressed.
The cavern was fairly large he found upon getting a clearer view. Through the meager light of the rising sun, he took in the winding tunnel in the back. His youkai blood gave him the advantage of seeing in the dark and when his curiosity got the better of him, nothing stopped him from exploring.
He was gone no more than thirty minutes and came back with some cheese and dried and salted fish. Though the attack was three weeks ago, the scent in the cavern indicated that someone had been here recently. The cool temperatures in the cavern made it ideal to store food for a few days. Someone else, other than the Taijiya, knew about this place. But for now, they were safe. He could not see or smell any fresh signs of the intruder. The scent was days old and he didn't think they would be coming back after discovering the barrier.
Inuyasha sat cross legged against the wall of the cavern, several feet away from Kagome. Before he could take his first bite of the fish, she began to stir again and woke slowly. He watched, fascinated, as she stretched her body languorously, the top half of the kimono drifting to her waist. Her breasts hitched up and her arms stretched over her head, giving him the perfect view of her upper body.
Inuyasha wanted to move farther away from her, watching her body with suspicious eyes, but he was already up against the wall. There was no where else for him to go. Her body tempted him in ways he had never felt--not even with Kikyou. He tried to look away. Yet his eyes kept straying back to her as she moved around restlessly. She suddenly bolted upright and he quickly turned his head, in an attempt to make it seem as if he had not been staring at her.
Kagome's heart pounded in her ears. Her breathing grew uneven and fast. Dread consumed her. She did not want to look down and find Inuyasha dead. She looked down slowly at where she lay, noticing for the first time that Inuyasha was not near her. Frantic, she turned her head in every direction to find him. If he wasn't stone cold dead beside, where could he be? Did he awaken again last night and crawl away, plunging to his death in the river?
Finally gazing out to the side, she caught a bit of red from the back wall. Thank Kami-sama! He sat against the cavern's wall, back to normal and alive. The relief washed over her in a dizzying wave. When it left, her mind finally comprehended that he was hanyou again. His silver hair was back. And his eyes were golden, not a deep pool of brown. And his ears! The urge to hop into his lap and rub them overwhelmed her. She held back, squashing the urge before she acted and embarrassed them both.
Kagome watched him turn his head to her, his face unreadable. “How...?” The words stuck in her throat. She was too shocked to speak.
Inuyasha shrugged. “My youkai blood started coming back at sunrise. My blood can heal me faster than a normal human.”
“But how come you were human last night?”
Inuyasha looked away. So she didn't know. He could just not answer her. Then his secret would be safe. But she would continue to bother him with the same question, shooting him hurt looks whenever he was turned away from her. And for some reason, he didn't want to hold secrets from her anymore. Inuyasha sighed. “All hanyou have one time a month where our youkai blood recedes, leaving only the human. Our appearance changes so we look human and all the special qualities our youkai blood gives us are gone. My day is the night of the new moon.”
“Why didn't you tell me?” Kagome asked, upset and yet relieved. The snake wasn't what caused his change. Only the natural rhythm of his body. “I would have made sure we waited an extra day before going to the village.”
Inuyasha looked her in the eye, deadly serious. “I haven't told anyone about it. Even my parents don't know what day mine is. It's a curse. We become vulnerable and if anyone found out, we could be killed. Too many people hate hanyou for us to go telling our secrets. So don't tell anyone.”
“I wont,” she said and shook her head. “But don't you think Sango and Miroku should know? They'll be traveling with us for a while.” Kagome became silent when Inuyasha shook his head vehemently.
“No. No one else. Ever.”
Kagome's relief and their argument was cut short. A sharp thwack rang throughout the cavern and both turned their attention to the sound. A blurred figure stood by the barrier, hitting it with something they couldn't identify.
Kagome stood slowly, unsure of what to do. She had been training for the last few weeks but she was not yet ready for a true battle. And Inuyasha was just healed after the attack last night. They could not fight properly. Yet she watched, unbelieving, as Inuyasha brought up a hand, cracked his knuckles and prepared to meet there attacker--all while she stood frozen, afraid for their lives, and the barrier flickered and faded.
In front of them stood a tall youkai. He was a mix of two beings--snake and bat--all wrapped up in a humanoid form. Kagome shivered. It gave her the creeps. The face stared at her with pale snake eyes while it's arms, which held bat like wings attached to them, were still positioned with a tree branch grasped in his hands in mid swing. The snake from last night curled itself on the bank of the river, just a few yards away.
Shaken out of her stupor by the pounding of her heart and the very real danger, Kagome quickly gathered the clothes from the ground around them and stuffed them in her pack. She then placed the pack on her back, ready to run when given the chance. Inuyasha stood menacingly, watching the intruder as he slowly lowered the tree branch.
“You have been very hard to find,” the snake-bat youkai hissed. “I do not like games.” He drew out the s and his tongue flicked out. The action sent shivers up Kagome's spine. It was creepy.
Without warning, he dropped the tree branch and lunged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha grinned and met him half way, his claws extended at the intruder's face.
“Sankon Tetsusou,” he yelled and slashed down. The youkai intruder dodged, using his wings to help move farther away.
“Keh,” Inuyasha huffed. This would be no easy kill. He launched himself into frenzied attacks, never letting up. The intruder dodge easily and lured Inuyasha outside the cavern.
They stood face to face on the river bank. Kagome surveyed their fight in stunned silence, helpless. Since the start of her training, her power had given her hope and security. Helplessness was a feeling she was familiar with, recalling the day Naraku attacked her home, and she never wanted to relive that again.
Inuyasha crouched, twitching his fingers and readying his claws. He pulled up his lips and allowed his fangs to glint off the sun. He growled menacingly and prepared himself for the right moment. The youkai shifted ever so slightly and Inuyasha pounced, his razor sharp claws coming down to finally tear flesh. Fresh blood splattered on the ground. The intruder only grinned back in return.
Inuyasha jumped away from the youkai and stared at him, confused. The forgotten snake slithered silently through the grass. It wound its way up Inuyasha's foot and leg until its head rested against Inuyasha's hip. The youkai's head moved a tiny fraction and the snake bit down hard on the tend flesh of Inuyasha's hip.
With his prey distracted, trying to find the now retreating snake, the youkai moved in. He brandished a dagger from his back and stabbed Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha hissed in pain and swiped his claws against the youkai. The youkai dodged, falling back to a safe distance to watch Inuyasha roughly remove the dagger and throw it to the ground.
Kagome stood stock still in horror. Then furry overtook her. How dare that youkai use such an underhanded trick! She stared at the snake through a pink sparking haze. Her blood boiled. Without thought, her hand came up and she speared the snake completely through three times with glowing pink bolts before slashing the head off for good measure.
Her anger spent, Kagome felt her legs give way under her and her body crumple to the ground. Inuyasha stared, his eyes wide, then ran to catch her before her head could hit the ground. The youkai was faster. He clasped Kagome to him and leveled his claws to Kagome's throat. Her eyes never fluttered open and her chest moved rhythmically, albeit slowly. She was unconscious.
Enraged, Inuyasha forgot about the snake bite and its poison that coursed through his blood yet again. He gouged his claws into the dagger wound on his chest viciously, letting the blood thoroughly coat his claws. He ran a few steps, giving himself a small flash of momentum. “Hijin Ketsusou!” he yelled and brought his hand out towards the youkai's head, his blood scattering across the ground. Several blood red blades cut the youkai's head, one severing it from his body.
Inuyasha ran to Kagome as she fell a final time and caught her just before she met the ground. His hands were everywhere at once, touching her to make sure everything was in the right place. Thankfully, the youkai hadn't had time to harm her.
Cradling her in his arms, He walked over to the river and sat down with her head pillowed in his lap. He let the rest of her body lay beside him and carefully splashed cool water onto her face. She didn't move. He checked again to make sure she was breathing. She was. He realized then that the use of such power, untrained, had exhausted her beyond her endurance. She only slept. Not dead.
He breathed a sigh of relief and, now with the danger gone, waited for her to waken. Once she was conscious again, they would head back to the Taijiya village to meet up with their companions.
O o O o O o O o O
Naraku cursed violently and paced, his plans ruined yet again. His first true test of mind control had worked. The snake-bat youkai had done everything he order. He was just upset it was over so soon. Coming across the hanyou bastard and the girl alone had been sheer luck.
Distance was still an issue--he could only be eight ri away--but at lest he could now control the subject while moving his body around. Overall, it was a very satisfying test. The problem was that he had had the perfect opportunity to grab the girl and it slipped through his fingers, all because his test subject wasn't very powerful.
Naraku stopped short of completing his last pace, standing dead center in the room. He turned his gaze to the door, scenting the air and reveling in the fear. Just outside stood a nervous servant, ready to take his breakfast order. Smiling in glee, he whipped out a tentacle and bashed the shoji door, grabbing the human servant. Amid the screams and the blood, Naraku laughed--his furry finally found an outlet. To bad he would not be able to come back to this quaint little town again. The villagers were so much fun to play with.
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