InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Half Demon Child ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

[ 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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“Welcome to my castle dear child. I had a feeling that you would be coming to visit my home.” The demon, Naraku said.

Tani looked around the castle that Kagura brought her too, it was dark and the air was so limited with oxygen that she was even having troubles breathing a little. A little cough came out here and there. Tani sat infront of Naraku and bowed her head as a silent way of saying thank you. Tani felt a little bit agitated about being here in this dark, creepy, limited aired castle infront of an evil looking demon.

Kagura had explained to Naraku about the story that Tani explained to Kagura on their way to his castle to what had happened to her mother and why she was a lot more miserable than she was before.

“I see,” Naraku started as his eyes left Kagura's and shifted to Tani's. “You're mother was killed by a demon?”

Tani nodded, sadly.

“Hmm… I've heard a lot of priestesses dying because of one priestess who is selfish and greedy.”

Tani lifted her head in disbelief “S-selfish? A priestess?” Tani thought about it. She has never ever in her life heard of the word `selfish' and `priestess' in the same sentence before. “Who is she? What makes her so selfish?”

Naraku looked head on at Tani, giving her the full eye contact, “This particular priestess only wants power, she's known to be what we call an anti-priestess who wishes to become the strongest priestess there is in all of this country. Her name is Kikyo. Her intention is to collect the sacred jewels to become all powerful and slay all the priestesses that might surpass her spiritual powers.” He explained.

“K-Kikyo?” Tani asked still in disbelief, “I've heard that name before...” she then thought silently. She began to think pretty hard from where she had heard the name before. “Wasn't she the priestess that was killed by a half demon? And she killed him in return? Because that happened a long time ago and she's dead. Besides she was kind hearted before her tragic death.”

“She was soon resurrected by a demon witch and then chose to take on priestesses so she is the only priestesses standing.” Naraku continued to explain, “She must have sensed the jewel shards from where you were. And since the demon, priestess Kikyo was killed by a half demon, she despised the fact that your mother had you.”

Tani just sat, sinking in everything she had just heard from the human like demon that stood before him and then looked up at him again. “But, I didn't have sacred jewel shards with me and neither did my mother, so why would she attack my mother when she didn't have the jewel shards with her-,” Tani thought back.

The priestess attacked her mother the day after InuYasha and his friends came and left the village. One of his friends must have had a hold of the sacred jewel, most likely the oddly dressed girl or even the monk.

Tani gritted her teeth as she clenched her fist, “It's their fault that mother she was killed.” She growled. “I can't believe my mother died in vain because of them! Priestess Kikyo is going to pay for her mistakes and actions.” She said. Her grey eyes grew darker with such anger which coursed through her veins.

Naraku grinned evilly but Tani didn't notice. His plan was slowly falling to place; like it should, “Do you truly want revenge?” Naraku asked.

“More than anything; my mother died because that priestess killed her thinking that she had the sacred jewel shard in her possession.” Tani said. Her face grew dark with hurt, anger, and confusion, “but I don't know if I can…” she felt discouraged, “I'm just a kid…”

Naraku could feel the vibe of energy going through the half demon child. Naraku reached then into his pocket and brought out jewel that was almost whole. “Take this; it will help you get your revenge. The priestess's powers are extremely exponential but with the jewel, you'll become even stronger of that of a full demon.”

Tani brought out her hands as Naraku dropped the jewel into her hands, “Thank you; I shall use this to avenge my mother.” The necklace that was in Tani's kimono became dark as Tani got up from where she sat.

This was not a good sign.

Naraku then chuckled softly as looked at Tani, “Kohaku will assist you in finding her,” he said, “seize the chance and strike her!”

“Yes, Naraku; I will,” Tani said. Her half moon half sun necklace went black.

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Meanwhile, back at the village, where Tani had used to live, the villagers who had evicted her were busy gardening their plants and watering their fruits and vegetables that they had noticed InuYasha and his friends coming into the village.

One of the villagers had trembled in fear as he dropped his rake, “Damn that Tani,” he cursed, “she's summoned demon's to slay us!” he continued as he cautiously backed away from the sight of InuYasha and his friends walking up to them.

One of the villagers who were outside had stopped panicking for a second realizing who they really were, “Hey, wait a minute didn't we see these people before?” The village men whispered to one's ear.

The man that was whispered too paused as he looked at the group of people who stood before them, “Yeah, we did, the monk said that he had sensed that of a demon in this village.” The other village man said.

“No,” Miroku began, overhearing the conversation, “we didn't come here for such a thing.” He said as he walked up to them, “Not this time.”

InuYasha stepped up and started to sniff around the place as his nose wrinkled in disgust. The village had reeked that of human blood. “I can smell human blood.” InuYasha stated.

“You're smelling that of Priestess Larina's blood.” One of the village men explained.

InuYasha turned to face the village men.

“Priest Larina had been slaughtered by her own demon daughter, Tani, the despicable wretch.” The other village men spat.

Kagome gasped. “Tani slaughtered her own mother?”

Sango's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, “That's foolish; Tani seemed so gentle she wouldn't even hurt a fly.”

One of the villagers had just turned his head one side with disbelief and disgust to what he had just heard from the demon slayer, Sango. “Appearances can be deceiving,” he sneered.

“That maybe so,” Miroku began once again, “but Tani would never do such a thing. Tani isn't evil at all. I couldn't sense anything evil about the child. She could never hurt anyone.”

“Besides, if she was that evilas you put,she could've beaten up your children if she wanted to. She's strong enough to do so. But it would only convince you fools even more to think that she was truly evil.” InuYasha said, as he sniffed. “I know for a fact that it was Naraku. I can smell him.”

“If that's the case then how come we found her covered in her mother's blood? Care to explain that?” The head boy of the village kids, Raidon said coming out from behind his father.

InuYasha gave him a warning look; showing if Raidon tried to act a smart, he's got another thing coming. The boy's mother came and brought him back to her protectively and gave InuYasha a nasty glare.

“The children had saw Tani covered with blood with their own eyes, and yet she tried to deny it.” Raidon's mother explained. “Why do you insist on defending her when she killed a priestess?”

“Not just any priestess either; her own mother,” the balding villager said.

Shippo hopped on top of Kagome's shoulder to look around and noticed that the hut that Tani and her mother used to live in was destroyed. “Kagome, look over their! Tani's hut has totally been dismantled!” He pointed.

Kagome and along with her friends, all turned their heads to see for themselves. “You're right! But why?” She turned to the villagers; she had a feeling of who did it. “Did you trash it down?” She asked with a glare.

The villagers nodded their heads as if they were proud of themselves. “She's not coming back; we chased her out days ago when we saw her covered in her mother's blood.” The villager with the busy eyebrows said, “Wretched half-breed…”

That comment made InuYasha's eyes go dark with fury as he growled at them. “You bastards wouldn't know what evil was if it bit you on the neck!” He spat.

“InuYasha…” Kagome sympathized.

“Take a mental note: Tani is a very nice person or should I say was; she maybe dead for all we know half-demon or not, but if you were in danger, she would have risk her own skin to save you.” InuYasha continued, “I wouldn't even bother myself to lift a finger for you people. Just because she wasn't fully human, just because she was different from you… you terrorized and abused her and you kicked her out not caring what would happen to her and you have the audacity to call her evil?” InuYasha had then chuckled lightly to himself as he looked up at the villagers, his smile disappeared getting serious again, “I don't even know why I'm even wasting my breath talking you bastards…”

InuYasha's words were strong and power as turned away not giving the villagers a second glanced as he jumped away. Kagome and the others followed not looking back at that village or the villagers for that matter again.

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A young demon slayer had been jumping from tree to tree watching the young half demon, Tani running ahead of him. He watched her go, amazed at her speed. Surly she younger than he and still, it was surprising coming from a girl.

Something at that moment had suddenly came to Kohaku's head a familiar voice.

“Kohaku,” Naraku called, communicating with his powers,“keep a close eye on Tani, make sure she has killed off Kikyo and bring her back to my castle immediately.”

“I have to keep a close eye on Tani; she can't get to far from me though.” Kohaku thought. “Tani,” he called, “You must slow down I have to lead you to Kikyo!”

Tani stopped with her bare feet sliding on the ground. The dark tainted half-moon, half-sun necklace that Tani once wore, had fallen off out of her kimono but Tani had failed to notice it as did Kohaku. Tani's face seemed darker than usual and her pupils were starting to glow whitish grey and she was starting to feel less human despite the fact that Tani was only a mere half demon. The jewel that she had was influencing her to become evil which was obviously not a good sign.

“Hurry up!” Tani growled, “I want Kikyo to suffer!” she sounded raspy in her voice as her fangs started to grow slowly. Each step that Tani took, she was forgetting all reason to go after Kikyo in the first place. Vengeance wasn't even what she wanted anymore, what she hungered now was blood.

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“Damn it! The scent ends right here!” InuYasha thought as he looked around wondering what could've happened in or for the scent to have ended. But all he saw was a thin river down the steep what like hill before him,“But I was right,I could smell that of Naraku and Tani mixed together. And yet...I can't smell them anymore! All I smell is…demon blood. They must've taken off somewhere back to his castle I bet, he probably wants to use her to get to me or you guys.” He concluded turning back to see his friends catch up. “Kagome, can you sense any jewel shards from here?”

Before Kagome could answer that, Shippo along with Kirara who was in her transformed state, had noticed something that seemed rather frightening. This made Shippo shake with fear as Kirara growled from the sight of it.

“What's the matter Kirara?” Sango petting her head to calm her demon feline down.

“L-look over there!” Shippo said pointing at a certain direction gripping onto Kagome's clothes.

InuYasha, Miroku, Sango and Kagome had all turned their heads to see a headless demon that didn't seem to have died yet as its hand began to twitch.

InuYasha stepped up infront of the body has he slowly grabbed a hold of his Tetsusaiga. “Kagome, the rest of you get back.”

“Ah…” the demon began, “another half demon, how quant… you may not be a full demon but your body is perfect! I shall use it to restore my body!” he said as his red piercing eyes glowed.

“Whoa! The demon's head just talked!” Shippo said gripping even tighter onto Kagome's clothes.

“He just said another half demon…” Kagome stated.

“Hahaha… and once my body has been reborn, I shall have the feast that I rightfully deserve starting with the humans! I would've had my feast with that other half demon until that cursed witch cut of my hand and decapitated me!” The demon bellowed.

“Do you think he's talking about Tani?” Sango asked as she brought out her Hiraikotsu and got into her fighting stance, ready to battle.

“Well we don't know for sure,” Miroku responded as he held onto his right arm where he had the wind tunnel is, “but if he was talking about Tani, I don't think he managed to eat her.”

“If that is the case then what do you suppose happened to her?” Kagome turning back to Miroku for a response.

“My lunch disappeared with a witch on a large feather!” The demon's head said. “Now enough with the conversation, I shall have my new body!” The demon's body had soon gotten up where it lay as he then chased after InuYasha directly head on.

InuYasha managed to dodge the demon as Kagome hopped onto Kirara's back so the feline demon could take her flight. Sango and Miroku were also able to dodge the demon as well.

“Not gonna happen!” InuYasha told the beast, “Unfortunately for you, I got my own motives!” he said as he brought out his Tetsusaiga. He jumped up in the air and ended up directly above the demon's head and body as he thrusted his sword to release his attack, “WIND SCAR!”

The Wind Scar had simply wiped out the demon entirely with one stroke as Sango and Miroku had backed up and Kirara flew back as well. Once the dust cleared, there was nothing left of the demon except for its ashes. After that was settled, InuYasha just put his Tetsusaiga back in its sheath satisfied that the beast was dead.

“Well you had no problems destroying the demon, InuYasha,” Shippo stated as Kirara slowly made her way on the ground.

“No, I didn't, he was just some vermin.” InuYasha responded.

“InuYasha,” Miroku started walking up to him, “before you finished off the demon, he said that the half demon child was takin away by a witch on a large feather…”

InuYasha soon began to realize where Miroku was going with what he was saying, “You trying to tell me that maybe…”

“Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying,” Miroku said.

“So Kagura has Tani?” Kagome asked.

“But why?” Shippo wondered.

“Naraku,” InuYasha growled.

“Well, Kagome do you sense any jewel shards?” Sango asked.

“Nope, not even a little twinge.”

“I'm starting to think that Naraku is using Tani for his own benefit.” Miroku stated.

“Huh, you think?” InuYasha replied.

“No offense on Tani's behalf but, how could she be useful to him anyway? She's just a child; he shouldn't even try to mess with her in the first place.” Sango stated.

“He's the lowest of the low.” Kagome said, bitterly.

“Maybe…he didn't use her, maybe she's…” Shippo trailed he had a feeling that Tani might have been killed by Naraku.

“No, he couldn't have… there has to be a reason why he would have killed her to begin with… if that is the case.” InuYasha said, quietly. “Sango,” He called turning to her direction.

Sango lifted her head to show that InuYasha had grabbed her attention.

“I need you to search around the place, if it isn't too much trouble for you.” InuYasha said.

Sango nodded. “Alright, I'm on it,” She said as she turned to Kirara, “let's move,”

“Wait,” Miroku said.

Sango stopped herself from getting on Kirara's back as she turned to face Miroku.

“I better go with you,” Miroku volunteered as he stepped up with his staff.

Sango nodded as she climbed onto Kirara's back along with Miroku. At moment Kirara was off.

InuYasha along with Kagome and Shippo looked up as they watched their friends, Sango, Miroku and Kirara fly off.

“Come on,” InuYasha said as he kneeled down, signaling that Kagome was to leave her bike behind to ride on his back, “Let's get going…”

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End Chapter