InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of the Demon King and the Zetsumei no Tasogare ❯ The Present: Kamitsu's Confusion ( Chapter 7 )

Kamitsu awoke to a cold darkness, pain infusing his entire being. The hanyo knew from the fact that he was still in human form that it was night, and when he looked up he couldn't even see the stars. He stood slowly, groaning in agony as he willed himself to move. The air smelled damp and earthy, not surprising since he was at the bottom of a well. The hanyo searched the stone walls, seeing dozens of handholds with which he could use as purchases to climb out. The process of doing so was slow and painful, but he didn't relish the thought of staying down there so he kept at it until he had reached the top. He soon learned why he couldn't see the stars; the well was in a small building, which was quite odd considering he didn't remember entering one. Kamitsu shook his head wearily, trying to clear the pain induced cobwebs that cluttered his thoughts as he made his way out the door. Ahead of him was an odd two story building, someone's home he presumed, but it was of an architecture he had never seen before. Several lights were on in its windows and, as Kamitsu watched, a boy with a heavy sack came out followed by a cat. The child paused, evidently having seen him but seemingly unsurprised to find someone behind his house at such a late hour.

“Inuyasha, is that you back there?” The boy sounded quite calm and collected for someone his age. Kamitsu tried to reply, but then the comforting blackness of unconsciousness swirled in his vision, causing him to pass out. Still, he heard the child's voice call out one more time. “Mom, Gramps, come quick! Someone's hurt!”

 

Komoro tore a strip from his shirt, using it as a crude bandage to wrap around his head and cover his savaged eye.

“Damn that half blooded bastard! How could I let him catch me off guard like that?!” The yuokoi growled fiercely from where he sat on the sturdy branch of a tree. “When I get my hands on him…” He trailed off, hands clenching into fists.

“What's the matter, Komoro?” A female voice asked from below in a mocking tone. “Did you let the kitten scratch your eye out?” Komoro glared balefully at the speaker with his good eye.

“What the hell do you want, Kagura?” He hissed at her in an acid-edged voice. If she felt threatened, Kagura hid it admirably.

“Lord Naraku is growing impatient with you,” she replied, the sarcastic emphasis on the word `lord' evident, “and he wants the object immediately. Komoro sneered, baring his fangs.

“You can tell Father that I will have his precious artifact to him presently,” he told her, his sneer becoming a grin. “And tell him, that I'll be sure to bring him an added surprise.” Kagura's eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?” She asked, suddenly suspicious of him. The yuokai shook his head amicably.

“Tsk, tsk, Kagura! If I told you that it wouldn't be a surprise,” he sounded almost mischievous when he said it. “Now, be on your way and report to Father like a good slave!” Kagura cast him a baleful glare before conjuring her giant feather (a silly mode of transportation in Komoro's opinion) and taking off. The yuokai smiled once she was gone, feeling slightly elated. Yes, he thought, Father will be most pleased.

 

Kamitsu woke sometime later to hushed voices, his eyes covered by a moist cloth.

“Who do you suppose he is?” A woman, in her middle years, possibly less, asked. Kamitsu couldn't be sure, but her scent was familiar.

“He's obviously a yuokai and should be exorcised!” An older man, his disgust evident in the tone of his voice, replied harshly.

“But, what if he's a friend of Inuyasha's?” The third voice belonged to a boy, and he sounded slightly distressed about the old man's exclamation. “Or, he could be a friend of Kagome's! Right, Mom?”

“That is possible,” the woman conceded after a moment, and then the old man's voice cut in sharply.

“A yuokai's a yuokai! He could very well be dangerous!” He didn't sound happy at all, but the woman seemed to be the head of the household here.

“I realize that,” she cut him off, “but I will not condone the harming of a defenseless person in my house.” This seemed to shut the old man up. Thinking that he had heard enough, Kamitsu sat up slowly, taking the cloth away from his face. He had been laying down on an odd piece of furniture (he had no idea what a couch was so he had no reference to work with), stripped from the waist up, his bandages replaced by fresh new ones and his injuries stitched back up. Thankfully, as he removed the blanket and got up, he was still wearing his pants and boots. Also, he didn't recognize any of the other furniture in the room (it being a modern family's living room with a television, etc.), that and he was once again in possession of his demonic powers. The three people he had heard speaking when he had regained consciousness were in the next room over. He walked through the doorway and was hit in the face by a strange powder that made him sneeze violently.

“Back, yuokai!” The old man cried, though Kamitsu couldn't see him at the moment because his eyes were watering terribly. “Leave this place!” Another burst of powder and the hanyuo sneezed again, falling over backwards and hitting his head against a low table. He rolled over with a groan, sneezing and coughing from the awful powder's effects on his sensitive olfactory nerves. In other words, he was allergic to it.

“That's enough, Dad!” The woman said in time to stop the old man from throwing any more of the horrid stuff in Kamitsu's face. The hanyuo was alternating between sneezing and coughing, his head pounding painfully from where it had hit the table and his sinuses clogging up. His eyes watering and his head feeling like it would explode; he tried to sit up but was unable to manage it as he gave another violent sneeze.

“Ugh, my head…” He moaned, rubbing at his eyes in an effort to clear them. The woman placed a cool hand on his forehead, the other moving his own away from his eyes. He could just make out her shape due to his allergic reaction to the powder making his vision blurry.

“Shhh, it's alright now,” she whispered gently, reminding Kamitsu of his own mother, or his fake mother…he couldn't be sure anymore. The hanyuo turned his head to avoid sneezing on her, the pain in his head slowly becoming a dull ache. Soon he fell asleep once more, his dreams deeply disturbed by strange visions…

 

He stood in a dimly lit cavern, the light coming from four torches surrounding an altar large enough for a person to lie down on. He turned left, then right, seeing no way out. Then he heard it, a slow, steady heartbeat coming from the altar. He could feel a strange, pulsing energy coming from a round jewel that could fit in the palm of his hand that was resting on it. There was also a katana, old yet still in perfect condition, in a gold inlaid scabbard with ancient runes and symbols embossed upon it that caught his eye. The heartbeat was coming from the sword itself. He was drawn to it for some inexplicable reason, like it was a part of him. The hanyuo started towards it, reaching for the hilt as the heartbeat grew stronger.

Come to me…Kamitsu…

The voice was familiar, yet not. It was mesmerizing to the half demon, and he had almost reached the sword when the jewel pulsed brightly, nearly blinding him in its brilliance…

 

Kamitsu awoke with a start, the dream already starting to fade. He was once again on the odd piece of furniture (couch, just in case you forgot), feeling bone tired. The hanyuo sat up with a groan, squinting against the sunlight coming in through the windows. The boy came into the room bearing a tray with food on it.

“Um, good morning mister,” he greeted shyly, stepping a little closer. Despite the fact Kamitsu was a hanyuo, the child showed no fear of him, which surprised the ninja. The hanyuo couldn't help but feel that the boy was familiar, both in appearance and his scent.

“Who are you?” Kamitsu asked, eyeing the food a little warily, remembering the things the old man had said. “Where am I?” The boy smiled.

“Well, I'm Sota Higurashi, and this,” he looked around the room for emphasis, “is our home.” Kamitsu blinked.

“I guessed what this building was already, but what I meant was: where is this place? Am I still in Japan?” He wasn't reassured at all when the boy nodded. There was something about the look in his eye that was unsettling.

“Yeah, this is Japan.” Sota set the tray of food on the small table. “Didn't Kagome tell you about the present?” To say Kamitsu was puzzled would have been an understatement.

“What's this `present' you speak of, and how do you know Kagome?” The hanyuo asked, suddenly realizing something about why the boy looked familiar.

“Well, uh, I can't really explain much about what I mean about the present, but I can tell you that I'm Kagome's younger brother.” Sota's cheerful reply confirmed Kamitsu's suspicions, but that still didn't explain to him what the `present' was. He would just have to ask him about it later. At the moment, he was feeling practically starved. The hanyuo dug into the cup of noodles with a barely suppressed zeal, which was odd for him. Most times he could control his impulses quite well, but at the moment he could have eaten a large horse. The first cup was emptied and Kamitsu started in on the second one in an instant. The boy, Sota, just sat on the floor across from him, watching the half demon eat. Once finished, Kamitsu was slightly disappointed to learn that there had been only two cups of the delicious tasting noodles. Now, however, he was thirsty. Sota must have guessed this, because there was another cup, this one made of ceramic, filled with an odd, fizzing liquid.

“What is it?” Kamitsu asked, eyeing it as warily as he had the food earlier. Sota only smiled.

“Try it,” was his only reply. The hanyuo picked up the cup and gingerly took a sip. The liquid's flavor was new to him but not unpleasant, just as its tendency to make the drinker burp was also quite strange. In fact, it was very disturbing.

“What kind of magic is in this?” Kamitsu inquired after suppressing another obnoxious burp. Being a ninja, the hanyuo was versed in some forms of magic, namely the shadow arts, but had never heard of a spell designed to cause someone to burp. Sota chuckled.

“It's not magic!” He said with a childish giggle. “It's just carbonated!” Now, being from a time period where such concepts were never even dreamed of, Kamitsu had no idea what the boy was talking about. Seeing the hanyuo's confused look, Sota only chuckled again. “Don't worry, you'll get used to it. In fact, it's one of Inuyasha's favorite drinks.”

“Huh, that's not surprising,” Kamitsu remarked scathingly. “The damn mutt would enjoy something that would make him expel even more hot air at random intervals.” The boy seemed confused now.

“Um, aren't you a friend of Inuyasha's?” Sota sounded a little worried at this point. It was Kamitsu's turn to chuckle, but his held little in the way of mirth.

“Hardly,” the half demon replied, taking another sip of the odd beverage. “Though, since he saved my life, I wouldn't exactly call us enemies either.” This last was admitted very grudgingly. “By the way, boy, what's your name?” The boy smiled cheerfully.

“It's Sota,” he told the hanyuo, picking up the tray to take it to the kitchen. “What's yours?”

“Kamitsu,” the hanyuo stated simply, watching the child leave, his mind filled with a thousand questions. Like when and where he was, not to mention how he got there.

 

Yuka, Eri and Ayumi sat around a table at a local fast food restaurant exchanging worried glances over the well being of their mutual friend.

“It's been three weeks already,” Eri murmured, fiddling with her soft drink. “Do you think she could have pneumonia, or something?” Yuka gave her a look.

“At this time of year?” She shook her head. “You know, I really think you should get your head scanned.” Ayumi thought of something.

“Could it be cancer then?” The girl asked, looking a little pale. Eri gave her the same look Yuka had just given her.

“Don't you think they would have told the school about something like that?” She asked in turn, sighing slightly. “Sometimes…” She left the thought unfinished. Ayumi looked somewhat less worried now.

“That makes sense,” she agreed cheerfully. “Could she have been kidnapped by aliens?” Yuka and Eri both sweat dropped.

“Do you know this weirdo?” Yuka asked, looking like she was ready to denounce the fact that she even associated with Ayumi.

“Unfortunately,” Eri replied grimly. Then: “Wait, could it be because of that guy Kagome is always talking about?” Yuka appeared thoughtful.

“But, why would Mrs. Higurashi put up with it?” Her expression grew determined. “That's it then. It's time for some friendly intervention!” The other two parts of what some called the “Terrible Trio” nodded in agreement.

“Let's go!” They all said as one and left, leaving several disturbed looking people in their wake.

Kamitsu stood out back of the Higurashi residence, bare from the waist up save for his bandages, and he also wore a bandana to cover the tips of his ears at Mrs. Higurashi's request. The hanyuo was going through one of his katas in order to keep himself in shape. His movements were slow, yet graceful, due to the fact he didn't wish to tear open his stitches again. Gradually, as if to test the limits of his injured state, his movements began to pick up speed and power, his skin glistening with sweat, muscles rippling as he moved from one position to the next. Then, he dropped practicing his kata and began working on skills he would use in combat. Lacking his sword, which was on the other side of the well, he took up a sturdy stick to practice with. Mrs. Higurashi had tried to explain to him what the Bone Eater's Well was and about the two eras, but the ninja still found the entire concept difficult to wrap his mind around. Smoothly executed attacks and counters came as second nature now, his confidence in himself growing with each and every slash and thrust. The fight with his yuokai twin had left both his body and pride badly injured. The physical injuries would heal, but the mental… Kamitsu focused his mind on the task at hand, adding punches, kicks and tumbling acrobatics to his exercise. Then, as he began a more complicated maneuver, a sharp pain shot through his back and spine, causing him to collapse in agony. The hanyuo choked back a scream as the spider shaped burn scar on his back continued to send fresh waves of hot, stabbing pain coursing through his body. There was movement to his left and, when he tried to rise, a fresh burst of agony sent him sprawling face first to the ground. Delicate hands rolled him onto his back, and the half demon found himself looking up into three unfamiliar faces.

“Quick,” one said to a second, “get Mrs. Higurashi!” The second girl raced towards the house while the other two stayed beside him.

“You'll be okay,” the third girl told him, trying and failing to sound reassuring. Another wave of pain sent the hanyuo into blissful unconsciousness.

 

Mrs. Higurashi sat across from Kagome's friends at the kitchen table, trying to explain why Kagome wasn't there.

“Currently, Kagome is…at the doctor's office getting a checkup,” she lied, wishing that her father was there to tell them. He was much better at this than she was…

“When will she be back?” Yuka asked the damning question. Mrs. Higurashi tried to come up with another convincing lie…but was spared when her errant daughter walked through the back door.

“Hi, Mom, I'm…oh, hey guys!” She paled slightly. “Umm…what are you doing here?” She made sure to shut the door behind her and lock it, because Inuyasha had come back with her this time. The “Terrible Trio” stood up and encircled her.

“Where have you been?” Yuka asked. Kagome choked on air as she fumbled for a reply.

“I was…sick with pneumonia,” she replied after an obvious pause. Eri started in from her left.

“Oh really?” She asked, arching an eyebrow. “It wouldn't happen to be because of that guy would it?” Kagome blushed.

“Wha…what guy?” She tried for innocence and failed. Ayumi started in next, a sly look in her eyes.

“You know who,” she said, smiling slightly. “He's tall, with a lean, hard body…dark blue hair, emerald green eyes…” She trailed off with a sigh. Yuka winked and nudged her friend in the ribs.

“You sure know how to pick them, Kagome,” she whispered in her ear, eyes twinkling with amusement as Kagome's blush darkened.

“What…what are you implying?!” Kagome felt if she blushed any harder her head would explode. “It's not…” Eri cut her off.

“Oh, come on, Kagome,” she said, eyes dancing with mischievousness. “A guy like that and you're not doing anything…” She decided to let the following silence speak for itself. Kagome shot a pleading look at her mother. Mrs. Higurashi saw the “help me, I'm drowning” look and decided to cut in.

“Alright girls, that's enough,” she pulled her daughter away from them. “Though I'm curious as well, Kagome.”

“Mother!” Kagome gasped in shock at the look in her mother's eyes. “I can't believe you people!” She pulled away, intending to head for her room. “Now look! There is nothing going on between me and Kamitsu! Period!” She stormed out, followed by all four of them giggling like little girls. She passed Kamitsu's sleeping form on the couch without a thought, heading up the stairs and into her room. Inuyasha sat on the edge of her bed, playing with her alarm clock.

“What's with the commotion down stairs?” The inu hanyuo asked, forcing Kagome to remember his excellent hearing.

“Nothing,” came her terse reply as she set down her bag on the floor. “Just my `friends' being a bunch of idiots.” Inuyasha arched an eyebrow in inquiry. Kagome decided that it was better to tell him now rather than have her bug her about it for days. “They saw Kamitsu and assumed we were…you know.”

“No, I don't,” Inuyasha replied, setting down the clock on the cabinet. “What did they assume?” Kagome groaned in exasperation.

“You can be so dense sometimes,” she muttered, pressing on before he could interrupt. “They thought I…had feelings for him.” The hanyuo nodded in understanding.

“And do you?” He asked without thinking. Kagome's face turned deep red in fury and indignation.

“Stupid, Inuyasha! Sit!” She shouted, causing the half demon to get more intimate with the floor. She then stormed out and headed downstairs and out side, not noticing that Kamitsu was no longer on the couch. She went to the Sacred Tree and sat down, leaning back against it.

“Hard day?” Came an inquiry from above her. Kagome looked up to see Kamitsu sitting on a sturdy tree limb, leaning against it with his legs resting on the same branch. He wore the same pants and boots, but his shirt was missing, replaced by a myriad of bandages. Kagome drew her knees up to her chest.

“You could say that,” she replied tiredly, then shivered. It was getting late, causing the temperature to drop slightly. Before she realized it, she was surrounded by a familiar scent. Kamitsu had draped his vest over her shoulders again without making a sound. He was back in the tree again in moments, watching the sun set. Kagome remembered the last time he had loaned her his vest. She felt strangely comfortable like this, inhaling the same spicy smell from before, and she soon drifted off to sleep. Kamitsu looked down at her with a small smile.

Funny, he thought, I feel strange when I look at this girl from the future, if that's where we really are. He sighed in self recrimination. Yeah, right, get a hold of yourself there, Kamitsu. First a yuokai slayer and now a wannabe miko from the future, well my time's future. This is her time…somewhere else I don't belong. He felt a slight twinge in his back. Am I really the son of this Naraku? Are the parents I thought were mine really not? The sun had fully set now, bringing with it the second night of the full moon. Kamitsu became human again, his mind now a blank. He watched Inuyasha take Kagome up to her room then come back out, coming to stand beneath the tree.

“Hey, cat!” The inu hanyuo called up to him. Kamitsu let out a sigh of long suffering before looking down at him.

“What is it, mutt?” He asked, in no mood to argue. Inuyasha placed a hand on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga.

“Stay the fuck away from Kagome, kitten, or I'll tear you apart,” he growled back, exposing his fangs. “She's mine!” The half dog demon went back inside, now using the back door since the “Trio” had left. Kamitsu watched him go, scowling.

“Someone should tell him to get that stick out of his ass,” he growled, wishing he had his powers so he could teach the inu hanyuo a lesson. He shook himself, startled by his own reaction. What do I care? He thought, puzzled. If he wants her he's welcome to her…so why do I feel so defensive of her? He closed his eyes and went to sleep, his dreams deeply disturbed…

 

Kamitsu stood once more inside the ancient temple, the sword's heartbeat stronger than before.

“Who are you?” He asked it, walking slowly towards the altar. “What do you want with me?”

I am power, it hissed in his thoughts. Wield me, and this power shall be yours… Kamitsu reached for it and was enveloped in a whirlwind of dark energies…then he stood atop a large hill, gazing down at his army that had just taken the western province. Thousands of inu yuokai corpses littered the battle field, and Kamitsu himself stood over one such that he didn't recognize. The yuokai hordes under his command were chanting his name…Kamitsu, son of Baratsuein!