InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Half Demon Child ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, the show InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I don't own any of the characters. However, the characters I made up like Tani and Larina belong to me.

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Kikyo, the tragic priestess who had died fifty years ago and was later then resurrected, had been walking through the forest outside a village of sick men that she had tended to who were barely surviving from the wars and felt something troubling her. Kikyo didn't have to turn around. She already knew who was stalking her.

“Naraku, how long are you going to keep this up?” Kikyo asked, “If it's another attempt to kill me; your attempts will be in vain because, as long as you own the heart of Onigumo, you can never lay your harmful hands on me.” she said.

“I'm not as foolish as you think I am,” Naraku started lurking through the shadows. “I'm completely, fully aware of that. The heart of the pathetic Onigumo who yearns for you won't allow me to harm you. I'm no longer going to make any attempts to strike you. I've already heard that lecture before about that ridiculous Onigumo.” He continued

“Then why are you here? What do you want from me if you aren't here to try and kill me?” Kikyo asked looking around the trees.

Naraku snickered before he responded from the shadows, “I simply came to warn you that someone else is going to do it for me.” he replied.

Kikyo laughed. “You sound so confident that this, someone can kill me. You honestly think that someone is strong enough can kill me?”

“Heh, one doesn't have to think.” Naraku said as he vanished. “Kagura just has to keep watching over the girl and then my second part of the plan will soon take its course.”

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Once Tani had wept over the loss of her mother, Priestess Larina, Tani took the liberty to give her mother a proper burial. She then dug her hand in the dirt and started digging while she still wept for her mother. Tani was so depressed and so carried away in digging for her mother's grave that she didn't notice the village children coming.

Tani soon stopped as she noticed a few eyes were on her. She turned around to find frightened, terrified, horrified village children at the sight of their priestess drenched in blood. Some of Larina's blood was even on Tani's hands and kimono. Assumptions were made.

“Y-y-you half breed!” Raidon, the leader exclaimed. “I knew it! You were in lead with the demons that you killed your very own mother!”

Tani didn't know what to say. There was certainly no way of convincing them that she was innocent. How could she? She was covered in her mother's blood-it looked at if she slaughtered her own mother.

“No!” Tani pleaded, “I didn't do this; a demon came by and attacked my mother! You've got to believe me!” She stepped closer to them.

The frightened village kids were not convinced as they took a step back from Tani. They never liked Tani. The kids were so upset with site that one village kid even picked up a rock and threw it at Tani which hit her by the shoulder. She grabbed onto her arm and growled at the boy who through it at her.

Raidon had stopped the boy from throwing another rock at Tani. “Don't throw another one.” He warned giving Tani the dirtiest look that she had ever received, “She may attack you like she did to her mother.”

Tani was growing even angrier which made her necklace glow a little. “Listen! I didn't do this to my mother!” She said choking back her tears. “Why would I do such a thing to her? She's the only one that ever cared for me! She was my mother for crying out loud! Why is it so hard to believe that a demon did this to her?!” She yelled.

The village children soon got very scared of Tani as they slowly backed away and eventually ran away. Knowing the village kids, they would tell their parents about what they saw. But Tani didn't care; she just let them go and continued to give her mother a proper burial.

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Tani had finally finished burying her mother and placed lilies and a rock on her grave. She couldn't stop herself from crying; Larina was really gone, Tani's mother was really gone. This was very hard for Tani to believe. Who would take care of her now? Tani was still a child; a half demon child. No one would accept her. The villagers hated her to the core. What could she do now? Tani then brought out her ocarina and played a piece for her mother.

It was soon, slowly getting dark as the sun had soon begun to set. Tani didn't notice until she could fully see her own shadow and decided to head back to her hut. This would be the first night she slept without her mother.

“If only InuYasha were here…” Tani thought, sadly.

Tani continued her walk through the forest but couldn't help but notice fire on the other end of the forest, through the trees. She then came out of the forest and into to the village only to see very upset, angry villagers holding their torches and pitch forks. The half demon didn't like the looks of this one bit as she felt the strange vibe from the angry villagers.

“Cursed demon!” A villager yelled.

“You think we don't know about you killing your mother!” Another villager barked, “You bastard!”

One villager even tried to throw a rock at Tani but it only cut through her necklace with fell to the ground. Tani grew terrified.

“You thought we wouldn't tell them? You're covered in your mother's blood! You don't belong here!” Jiro, the village kids said hiding behind his father.

“I'm telling you! A demon attacked her!” Tani cried.

“Shut up half breed!”

Those words were so harsh, Tani felt as if she got slapped in the face.

“Buzz on out of here! Or we'll kill you!” The head village kids, Raidon said from behind his mother.

Tani didn't know what to say but then realized that the mothers held their children very tightly to protect them. More rocks were now coming Tani's way. She had no other choice but to run away and never come back. The villagers already proved that they didn't want Tani. The unwanted half demon then grabbed her broken necklace and ran for it. The villagers chose not to chase after her. Tani was never going to come back.

“And don't you ever come back!” The villagers began to yell.

“Damn you to hell cursed HALF BREED!”

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InuYasha and his friends were sleeping peacefully under the stars again around the campfire that Kagome prepared for them earlier with a little help from Kirara.

Suddenly, InuYasha had been awakened by the faint smell of human blood. He continued sniffing until he was definitely sure that it was blood that he was sniffing as his eyes slowly opened.

Kagome woke up as she could here InuYasha sniffing continuously. “InuYasha, whats wrong? Do you smell Naraku?” She asked as she rubbed her eyes her voice sounding very tired.

InuYasha didn't respond as he got up from where he was and continued sniffing about.

“Well?” Kagome asked getting a little impatient as Sango and Shippo began to wake up from their sleep as well.

InuYasha growled. “No, it's not even close. It's the stench of human blood.”

“Human blood?” Sango asked stretching.

Miroku was already up and awake, “Which way?”

InuYasha turned to his head and then his whole body to where the stench was coming from, “It's coming from over there.”

“And you're sure it's not Naraku?” Shippo asked still half asleep.

“Tch,” InuYasha scoffed. “Of course I'm sure. My nose has never failed me before.” And with that InuYasha was already off.

“Hey, InuYasha, wait for us!” Kagome called out.

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Tani had continued running until she was sure enough that the she couldn't hear the villagers terrorizing her with their hateful, hurtful words. She then began to slow down as she fell on her knees and passed out for the night in the middle of an unknown forest.

The sun was slowly starting to rise and Tani had been awaken by the sunlight. She groaned at the sunlight and then groaned at the smell of herself as her nose wrinkled; she was still covered in her mother's blood and yet reeked of it too. So, Tani had decided to get up from the ground that she collapsed on brushed, the dirt of her clothes and decided to go find some source of water to wash off her blood stained clothes.

As Tani walked through the forest, she then heard her stomach growl but chose to ignore it. Ever since her mother's death she couldn't keep her mind straight. She continued to ignore her hunger until Tani had exited the forest to find a small thin flowing river just down by a hill. The girl was in no hurry to wash off what was left of her mother as she walked down to a spot near the river to rinse off her clothes. She took off her stained kimono leaving her white plain clothing and started rinse off her kimono. Blood was started to mix in with the river.

“Life can be so unfair.” Tani spoke, sadly, “Mother had always told me once in everyone's life time, we always find happiness every once in a while and then find it once again and live it for all eternity... I guess having InuYasha defend me was just it.” Tani as she blinked, having a tear fall out her eye and splash in the river. She wiped her grayish eyes as she continued to rinse of her mother's blood from her clothes, “After what happened to mother, I don't think I can ever be happy.”

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“I don't like the looks of this…” InuYasha thought as he continued jumping from branch to branch. “Haven't we been through this maze like forest before?”

Kagome was confused to hear what InuYasha said while she was riding her back along with Shippo who was sitting in the basket infront of the bike while Sango and Miroku were riding on Kirara's back.

“What do you mean?” Kagome said. “All forests look the same,” she started. She lowered her head to look at Shippo for support. “Don't they?”

Shippo shrugged his shoulders. “Beats me,” He replied.

“Sure all forest may seem the same, but most of the time they each have different scents. But in this one, it's like a mixture of Naraku's, Tani and blood.” InuYasha stated as he stopped on a branch.

Kagome gasped as she stopped her bike and looked up at InuYasha, “Are you serious?”

Sango and Miroku exchanged worried glances as Kirara stopped, “You don't think that…” Sango started.

“I hope not.” Miroku said.

“Let's keep moving.” InuYasha said as he continued off.

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Kagura had been flying over Tani, still keeping an eye on Tani making sure that nothing has happened to her. Kagura had already witnessed Larina's death and Tani's eviction from her village and was yet still confused to what Naraku could accomplish from this so far.

“I still don't get it,” she thought.“Whatuse can she possibly be to Naraku? It's not like she has special powers or anything. She cannot sense jewel shards and I'm pretty sure she's not strong enough to take on InuYasha and his friends...” She thought until something soon came to her mind, it hit her like that; Kagura had an epiphany, “Maybe it's not InuYasha he's after at all. This time he isn't after any of him or his friends...”

[Flashback…

“Damn that Kikyo, I can never kill her off anytime I want to…that foolish heart which belongs to Onigumo will not allow me. And I simply need demons to consume for me to become a full fledge demon.” Naraku started. “Kagura,” he called.

“Yes?” Kagura replied, “What is it Naraku?”

“I need you to look out for that half demon child that InuYasha met a while ago the half demon with a priestess for a mother. I'll deal with the mother. Just make sure that noting happens to the girl, understand?”

“Yes, Naraku, I understand.” She responded with a nod.

[Flashback Ends…

“It's Kikyo he's after. Naraku deeply hates Kikyo to the core. He's made several attempts to kill her but all plans have failed. His one option is to get someone to kill herfor him. But how is this kid capable to do so? Unless she knows all priestess's tactics so she can kill Kikyooff. I have to give Naraku credit. He's truly not a fool he can carry out his plans and most of the time they succeed. Damn him!” Kagura thought bitterly.

“Kagura,” A familiar voice called from the shadows into Kagura's mind. “Take the girl to my castle…”

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Once Tani finished cleaning her kimono, she just lay there on the very narrow of the hill. Tani brought out her ocarina and watched it shimmer into the light from the sun. She then held her breath and started to play a song that was once taught from her mother; it was the lullaby that her mother used to sing to put Tani to sleep.

Apparently not everyone was enjoying the piece that Tani was playing as a demon had soon appeared from behind coming out of the forest wondering what the ruckus was all about. This demon was a giant ugly and very frightful looking to the human eye.

“Who the hell is playing that awful music?” The demon bellowed, “Whoever if playing that awful sound, they are in my territory. Who dares cross my territory?” The demon continued. The demon had horns coming out of his head and his eyes were piercing red he was as large as a tree. The demon looked and saw Tani sitting there.

Tani had stopped playing her instrument as she turned only to see the frightening looking demon who was talking.

The hideous demon seemed pleased as he liked his lips, “food! Just as I thought! I knew I could smell that of a half demon!” he said, “Half demon, prepare to be my meal!” The demon announced licking his lips once more as he shot a fire ball attack at Tani.

Tani quickly got up and dodged the demon's fireball attacks. She was pretty fast and quickly made a run for it.

“Damn you, half breed! Come back here!” The demon yelled. “You won't get away from me!” He said, chasing after her. The demon was so large; he caught up to her with ease and grabbed a hold of her.

“Ah! Put me down! Release me!” Tani screamed as she opened one eye to face the terrified beast. Scared, the only thing that she could think of was biting the demon so she opened wide and bit him as hard as she could. Her fangs were soon covered with blood.

The demon didn't seem to feel much pain; to him it seemed more of a pinch when Tani bit him, “Persistent pest! You shall die!” The demon said as he squeezed her.

“Mother…help me, InuYasha…help…me…” Tani nearly grew unconscious until she saw a few blades coming the demon's way.

The blades had cut off the demon's hand. The demon yelped in pain as one more blades cut his head off right there on the spot.

Tani freed herself from the demon's grasp as she cautiously moved away from the demon which fell to his knees he lay their as a corpse. She backed up very quickly looking around the area, panting. Where did those blades come from? Did someone just save her? And at just that moment, a gust of wind appeared and a female humanoid demon appeared with piercing red eyes.

“No need for alarm dear child. I'm only here to help you.” She spoke smoothly.

“What do you want with me?” Tani asked giving the female demon a fierce look.

The female demon snapped her fan and spoke once more, “Not even a thank you for saving you?”

Tani`s angry face softened as she began to feel bad for what she said and apologized, “I-I'm sorry,” she began, “thank you for saving me.”

The woman smirked, “That's better,” she said, “Listen, I can tell that you've been through a lot. Your clothes are stained and dirty and you've got dirk all over your face.” She said observing the poorly washed kimono.

Tani looked at her clothes and realized that the woman was right as she lowered her head and nodded.

“Do you have a family?”

“She was killed by a demon…” Tani responded, “M-my mother was killed by a demon a day ago…”

“Tell you what kid; I can take you back to my castle where my master lives. He can help you out.” She said opening and snapping her fan shut again, “My name is Kagura, the wind sorceress and my master's name is Naraku.”

Tani looked confused, she had never heard of such a name before, “N-Naraku?”

“That's right,”

“What can he do to help me?”

“Well… he can help you out by solving your problems. He can help you avenge your mother's death. Come with me and he can heal your troubled heart.”

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End Chapter