InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of the Demon King and the Zetsumei no Tasogare ❯ Forgotten Past: Part 2 ( Chapter 5 )

Kagome swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. The black serpent demons were back, and in much larger numbers. She stood back to back with Miroku, for once not worried about if he was going to feel her up. She notched arrow to bowstring, determined not to get killed.

“Hey, Kagome,” Miroku began, causing her to halfway turn towards him. She froze with a startled gasp. She stood corrected. He was never going to change. “Remember to stay firm out there, okay?” She answered by smacking him up side of the head with her bow, leaving a painful lump.

“Jesus, Miroku, can't you be something other than a lecherous bastard for a change?!” How dare he even think of touching one of her breasts, especially at a time like this? She turned back to the slightly impatient group of demons. “Keep your hands to yourself!” The monk rubbed at the lump she had left with a sigh.

“I can't help it,” he told her, holding up his left hand. “I swear my hand's possessed by a demon, or something!” Kagome let out a derisive snort that would have done Inuyasha proud.

“Then, once we're done with these guys, how about I chop it off?” Miroku gave a marginally depressed sigh.

“Great, another Sango, that's just what this group needs.” She ignored him, drawing bead on the nearest demon.

“Fight now, complain later!” She cried, firing an arrow charged with her own spiritual energy into the mass of black serpent demons. The deadly missile cut a bloody swath in their ranks, destroying a dozen of them in one blow. Kagome panted from the effort required to use that much energy at one time, sweat beading on her forehead. Man am I gonna pay for that later, she thought as Miroku wielded his staff to deadly effect behind her. The spiritual energy he could channel into the weapon allowed it to cut through most demons like they were air. If they hadn't been in the village he would be using his Wind Tunnel, but there was the chance he could hurt people here. She fired her next arrow, taking out the next demon in line as they charged. She suppressed a groan. “This is really gonna suck!”

 

“Wind Scar!” The energy wave missed its mark by bare centimeters, doing wonders to destroy the landscape but leaving the demoness Kamilla untouched. How the hell does she keep doing that? The half demon thought, exasperated by the fact he couldn't even scratch her.

“Come on, mongrel, is this the best you have?” She taunted, grating on Inuyasha's last nerve. He rushed at her once again, the Tetsusaiga a flashing blur as it scythed through the air, aimed at the demoness' head. She ducked under the swing, twin energy blades cutting deep into Inuyasha's chest and abdomen. The half demon staggered back, cursing vehemently. With an enraged growl, he launched a series of faster-than-the-eye-can-follow swings of his sword, keeping Kamilla off balance. The final swing struck home, cutting open her right side from front to back. The demoness leapt back, hissing in pain.

“How's that?” Inuyasha growled, pleased that he had finally managed to score a hit. “Good enough for ya?” She didn't reply at first, seemingly surprised that she was bleeding. She gave herself a visible shake, then gave him a humorless smile.

“Not bad, mutt, not bad at all!” She hissed, backing up another step. “I think I've kept you busy long enough.” Inuyasha was confused, not understanding. “Kimona should have collected the jewel shards from our erstwhile sibling, so I think I'll take my leave. See you around, dog boy!” Before Inuyasha could act, the demoness slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

“Damn it!” Inuyasha cried as he ran off to find Kamitsu and this `Kimona' that was after the jewel shards. Why did things always have to be so damn complicated?

 

Kamitsu let out a sigh of relief as the last black serpent demon fell dead. There must have been over a hundred of the scaly bastards strewn across the forest floor. Sango collapsed against a nearby tree, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Let's not do that again anytime soon,” she said in between breaths. She didn't understand why she was so tired. If she couldn't fight a hundred minor demons without being winded afterwards, she must be getting out of practice. Kamitsu sank down across from her, gritting his teeth against a sudden stab of pain. Not only had his previous injuries been torn open, he had at least a dozen fresh ones to add to them. Tonight was just not his night. Even though the black serpent demons were defeated, the half demon still felt ill at ease. It was almost as if…

“We're being watched,” he stated, eyes on the darkness around them. Sango tensed, reaching for the tree branch that had served as a makeshift club. The darkness to their right shifted and took form. “Sango, look out!” Kamitsu cried a second too late as the shadowy figure leapt from the darkness, striking out at the demon slayer while her back was turned. Sango fell forward with a groan, unconscious. The figure turned, the darkness surrounding it beginning to take a more defined shape. Kamitsu couldn't help but be amazed by how much the demoness the darkness became looked like him, even down to her outfit. Only her silver hair and lavender eyes were different, and of course that she was so obviously a woman. She smiled at him, a look he couldn't place entering her eyes.

“Kamitsu, it's so nice to see you again,” she purred, sending a cold chill down his spine. “We've all missed you so terribly, dear brother.” The half demon froze in shock. Had she just called him her brother? That just wasn't possible!

“What are you talking about? I'm an only child!” The demoness simply laughed at him.

“Perhaps your human mother's only child, but not our father's!” She spat back, her face twisted with disgust and anger. “Why he ever chose to mate with a human is beyond me, but here you are because of it.” Her expression calmed and she was once again smiling. “That's why we came, after all, you are our sibling even if only by father's blood inside you.” Kamitsu gaped at her, feeling numb inside. “I can tell it's hard for you to accept, but if you don't come with us, Naraku, our father, will be most unhappy.” The use of Naraku's name shocked Kamitsu out of his numbed state.

“What the fuck are you talking about?! My father's name was Hiratsu, not Naraku!” The half demon could barely contain his rage. “My father was a kind man, even though sometimes in the service of Lord Godai he was forced to be ruthless. I heard from Inuyasha and Kagome who Naraku is and he sure as hell isn't my father!” The demoness chuckled, finding him to be such an amusing half demon.

“Those fools that raised you weren't you're real parents,” she told him. “They were merely pawns to make you what you are today.” She went on mercilessly, enjoying how he paled at her words. “If you want proof, here it is!” She gestured with her right hand and suddenly a horrible, searing pain enveloped Kamitsu's back, causing him to fall to his knees, screaming in pain. It felt as if someone was burning something into his flesh and by God it hurt! “Don't worry, brother Kamitsu, it won't hurt for long,” the demoness purred. “You should be thankful our father has decided to give you a chance to redeem yourself after destroying his pet, Drasune.” Her words seemed to be coming from far away as the pain grew in its intensity. Sango sat up slowly, her head feeling like it was going to explode. She could hear someone screaming in pain. It all came back in a rush. She and Kamitsu had been attacked by demons, then something hit her from behind. Her vision cleared, allowing her to see Kamitsu kneeling on the ground, his back to her as he continued to scream. Smoke was curling up from his back, his shirt smoldering as if his flesh were on fire. A female demon stood in front of him, a viciously cruel smile on her face. Sango tried to stand, but her vision blurred and she fell back to the ground. Kamitsu stopped screaming suddenly, having passed out from the pain, and fell forward. The demoness walked up to his unconscious form, reached down and took the pouch with the jewel shards from Kamitsu's belt. Then, she strolled into the shadows and vanished without a trace. Sango crawled, still unable to stand without falling back down, over to Kamitsu and promptly passed out.

 

Kagome staggered back and fell on her ass trying to get away from the demon in front of her. She had just run out of arrows and Miroku was in no position to help her. She screamed as it brought its sword crashing down.

“Wind Scar!” The energy wave smashed into the monster in front of her and the other remaining demons, obliterating them in a single stroke. Kagome stopped screaming, head turning to the energy wave's source.

“Inuyasha!” She cried, overjoyed that the half demon had come to her rescue. She scrambled to her feet and rushed to meet him, enveloping him in a fierce hug. “I'm so glad you came!” Inuyasha, not really sure what to say or do, simply patted her back awkwardly with his free hand. Miroku, battered and bruised but no worse for wear, came to stand beside them.

“So good of you to make it,” the monk said cheerfully, actually meaning it. The half demon gave him a nod over Kagome's head.

“It's no big deal,” he replied before stepping out of Kagome's embrace. “Have either of you seen Kamitsu?” Kagome shook her head, but Miroku nodded.

“Yeah, he was headed to the hot spring the last time I saw him, why?” The half demon frowned.

“That's what I figured,” he muttered, eyes serious. “These demons are here for the jewel shards he has, and I'm not gonna let them have em!” He turned to the forest and broke into a run, leaving Miroku and Kagome behind. It wasn't long before he found Sango and Kamitsu among a hundred or so dead black serpent demons, both of them unconscious. The pouch on Kamitsu's belt that contained the jewel shards was gone. Inuyasha roared his frustration, driving the Tetsusaiga tip first into the ground. Kagome and Miroku arrived moments later, both out of breath.

“What's wrong, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked between gasps for air. The half demon didn't reply, instead gesturing to Kamitsu's belt.

“The pouch with the jewel shards is gone!” Miroku exclaimed, once more stating the bloody obvious. Inuyasha growled as he stared off into the forest.

“Yeah, I was too late, this time.”

 

Naraku smiled coldly as three shadowy forms appeared in front of him in the recesses of his castle.

“So, you succeeded then?” He asked, though he already knew the answer. The figure in the middle stepped forward, already taking the shape of the demoness Kamilla.

“Yes, my lord Naraku,” she told him respectfully as she went down to one knee in front of him, wincing involuntarily at the pain in her side. Naraku noted this through narrowed eyes.

“You are injured,” he stated, though not because he was worried about her health. Kamilla knew this, growing fearful.

“It is nothing, a mere scratch,” she told him hurriedly. “It will not affect my ability to serve you, my lord.” He sensed her fear and couldn't help but chuckle. The demoness shivered at this, her worry over what he would do evident.

“That was careless of you, Kamilla,” he stated mercilessly. “Do not let it happen again.” Her relief over the fact he wasn't going to kill her was a nearly tangible thing. “And the jewel shards?” The figure to Kamilla's right took form and stepped forward, going to one knee as well as she presented them to him.

“For you, Lord Naraku,” the silver haired Kimona purred. He took them from her, smiling unpleasantly as he did so.

“What of Kamitsu?” He asked, his voice as cold and dark as frozen midnight. Kimona trembled slightly at his tone but fought it off.

“I have done as you instructed, my lord,” she replied, unable to keep a slight quaver out of her voice. Naraku looked up at the third figure.

“You know what to do,” he said before turning to the room's decrepit alter to set the jewel shards on it. “Only one thing remains. Find it and bring it to me.”

 

Kamitsu was cold, so very cold. It was dark where his mind was, oh so very dark. Something was chasing him, something black and menacing and if it caught him it would take his mind and soul. He could just feel it. No matter how fast he ran, however, it was always right behind him, like Death on black wings. Now it was steadily getting closer and closer, ready to envelope him in its darkness.

You are mine now, it hissed as it closed in for the kill. The last thing he saw were its eyes as its wings closed in around him.

 

Kamitsu sat bolt upright, stifling his own scream of terror. He was in a hut, much like the one from before. In fact, it was the hut from before. It would seem the others had found him and brought him here. But, what about the demon slayer, Sango? He stood with a groan, finding once again that he was without a shirt and bandaged. And what had become of the demon that had claimed to be his sister? He just couldn't remember anything past when she had said that. He walked to the hut's door flap and froze, having heard voices from outside.

“You saw that mark on his back!” Someone, Inuyasha from the gruff tone, exclaimed loudly. “He can't be trusted!”

“Of course I saw it! How could I miss it, considering I helped treat his wounds?!” That was Kagome for sure. It would seem that they were in the middle of an argument about someone. “If Kamitsu wanted to hurt us he would have already!” So he was what they were fighting about. But, why?

“How can you be so sure?” Inuyasha again. “How do we know that this isn't just another one of Naraku's schemes?” Naraku? What did he have to do with this? “He could be here to kill us and we'd never know!” Kamitsu had been able to catch bits of conversation about this demon earlier and what he had heard wasn't good. “Not to mention the spider shaped burn scar on Kamitsu's back! Only Naraku and his incarnations have that!” Kamitsu was stunned, remembering what had happened to him earlier. The searing pain, as if something was being burned into is back. It couldn't be!

“He has a point, Kagome,” this voice belonged to the monk. “How can we be sure he wasn't the one that hurt Sango?” Now Kamitsu understood, they thought he was an incarnation of Naraku and had been sent to harm them. Unfortunately, they could be right. What if Naraku was his father? Then there was that strange dream…no! Naraku was not his father and he would prove it by killing him! His sword and vest once again in his possession, the half demon slipped out of sight and vanished.