InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Heart Within ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: YoukaiFate 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 07.25.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 565 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 07.25.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 565 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, etc., of Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.
THE HEART WITHIN
Summary: She has carried vengeance in her shadowed heart for 500 years, sacrificing her self for that dream. Now, Sango just might get her chance… (IY/YYH crossover)
A/N: I AM SO GOING TO DRAGON-CON!!!!!! Holy crap, I just needed to shout that out because holy hot pistachios! My sass is going to be in Atlanta over Labor Day and I am so going to meet Anne McCaffrey and I am so going to have the time of my life at the best all-con ever!
*cough*
Resuming dignity now.
Oh, hell, flock it. I am so excited I’m squeeing like a Sessy-fangirl who just got to stroke his furry boa. (Not the only thing I wouldn’t mind stroking on that sexy not-so-little demon lord…)
Enough of me…on with the story!
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR YYH BLACK AND THE THREE KINGS SAGA!
WORD DEFINITIONS
Naraku - hell
Chapter Six
“I can find him.”
If he could, than even this would be worth it.
Wait---if this was so bad, than why was she bothering?
She didn’t know, and couldn’t answer that question, even for herself, and so she ignored it, and kept walking, knowing they followed her grudging lead as she tromped through the woods---what had the fox called it? The Forest of Fools? How appropriate.
She felt like a fool. This truce---or whatever the hell you called it---went against every solid argument her distrustful mind could come up with, and still she stayed, sworn word or no. Perhaps it was atonement for putting the fox in such an embarrassing position earlier, perhaps it was just curiosity, to see if that red-eyed jerk would actually do what he said he could. Perhaps it was just the Mazoku, who so achingly reminded her of Inuyasha. Perhaps she was just a fool who never learned.
Perhaps it was none of those, and something else entirely---her treacherous, weaker self just tired of the loneliness and the empty memories that were cold comfort to the realization of her quest’s possible end. Maybe she was just seeking something, anything, to distract her from thinking about it---about her brother, and her friends, the rage and the hate. It was a disturbing thought, and one she shied away from. Revenge was all she had, was all she needed. Nothing else. Nothing.
If the fire demon could help her find it faster, than all for the better. For once she had Naraku in her sight, than it would all be worth it. Every damn single moment and every single damn sacrifice. Revenge was all that mattered, nothing else---except to free her brother. That would be her reward. Naraku’s bloody death would just be icing on the cake.
“Wow, you’re quiet.”
Sango said nothing, only flicking her eyes to the detective who had drawn up beside her. He had his hands in the pockets of his torn jeans, as if they were strolling through a park, rather than a menacing demon’s woods in the middle of the night. He was downright incorrigible.
“So, tell me, how long have you worked for old diaper-pants’ father?”
Unbelievable that he wanted to make conversation. He must be bored. He seemed a little A.D.D.
She ignored him, withdrawing into herself with icy disdain.
“You know,” he looked at her, a glint in his brown eyes, “I could keep talking, and you could keep ignoring me, but then I could talk about whatever the hell I want to. Like how nice a rack you got.”
Sango stopped dead in her tracks.
He grinned, tossed her a wink, and sauntered past. He even started whistling, as if he had just won the round.
*Jerk.*
“You must pardon Yusuke. He’s not the most politic.”
She turned to glance at the fox, who had come up from behind, the fire demon his silent shadow. Tossing her head with a poignant glare, she stalked on after the sauntering perv, who continued whistling an off-key tune that made her wince. *Correction: Inuyasha was never that much of a jerk.*
Miroku, maybe, but not Inuyasha.
She squelched that thought, and ignored the two who now trailed her so closely. What was with guys anyway? Damn, but they were irritating!
“Hey, guys!” The detective abruptly stopped way up ahead of them and turned to wave. “I think I found us a cave!”
“With our luck, something’s probably already taken up residence there,” Kurama murmured dolefully.
“He wouldn’t just walk in---” Hiei growled, then let out a gusty sigh. “He would. Idiot.”
There was a roar, one that shook the very ground beneath them. Sango tried to brace herself against the shuddering under her feet and stiffened when she felt the fox’s hand curl over her elbow to help steady her. He let go as quickly as she scowled, and was already running for the cave-mouth, where another roar of fury sent leaves scattering off the nearest trees. There was a faint shout, and Sango ran after the fox, the fire demon seeming to vanish into thin air as he took off.
“SPIRIT GUN!”
Sango held up an arm to shield her eyes against the sudden flash of glaring white light that flared from the cave’s mouth. It was like a florescent light-bulb had just been seared across her inner eyeballs, and she reflexively crouched back behind a tree, eyes watering as her dizzy vision shot rainbows across her retinas. Cursing the idiot under her breath, she gripped the hilt of her sword as she felt hands curl around her shoulders.
“Blink, it helps.” It was the fox, and she tensed as he helped her back up to her unsteady feet.
“What was he thinking?” the fire demon growled somewhere to her right.
“Can you see, Hiei?” the fox said somewhere above her head.
“Of course,” the demon retorted. “I know enough to close my eyes when that fool starts shooting.”
“Hey, guys! Cave’s cleared!”
“Peachy.” Sango couldn’t hold back a faint smile at the apparition’s dark mutter.
“Are you all right?” She felt a light thumb trail across her wet lashes in inquiry and she jerked away from the surprisingly tender gesture.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, escaping his loose hold and nearly knocking herself against the tree behind her. There was a derisive laugh from the fire youkai, and she sent him an icy glare (in what she hoped was his direction) before using her fingers to trail around the tree’s thick trunk. She could feel the fox following her, still concerned, and she blinked harder, trying to regain her vision. The darkness was hard to pierce after so brilliant a flash, and she finally stood still long enough to recover her sight.
“What’s taking y’all so long?” She could suddenly see the Mazoku, hands on his hips, as he confronted them.
“You are an idiot,” Hiei growled, before vanishing. He reappeared by the cave’s entrance, where she could barely make out his darker shadow disappearing into the black maw of the rocky verge.
“What was it you killed?” Kurama asked, and Yusuke shrugged.
“A bear, I think, except it had three eyes and some type of weird armor, like pieces of a turtle’s shell. Craziest bear I ever saw. It wasn’t too happy about me barging in without knocking.” He grinned unabashedly. “Anyways, coast’s clear now.”
“How convenient.” The dry irony was lost on the former Spirit Detective, and so Kurama turned back to Sango, who just watched them with a faint frown. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, and shrugged. She suddenly felt tired and was more than ready to get off her feet. It had been a long day, full of more surprises than she really cared for.
Ignoring them, she stalked to the cave, nimbly jumping past the outcropping of stones that thrust up through the grassy knoll it rested upon. The trees grew right up to the hill’s base, and moss must have once overhung the entrance as it did the roof, before the detective’s energy blast had blown it away. She didn’t like the thick darkness of the cave itself, or the stink of charred bear and old musk that still lingered like a fetid blanket across the entrance, but refused to hesitate while the others were watching.
Sauntering in, she almost tripped over a stone in her path, and did fall right against a warm wall of solid muscle. “Umph!”
“Watch where you’re going, fool.” The red eyes she looked up into were glowing faintly in reaction to the darkness. She couldn’t see anything else, but could fancy his disdain as he pushed her upright. His hands lingered a bit too long, though, on her shoulders, and she distanced herself with a growl.
“Won’t happen again, I can promise you that.” She felt the curve of wall behind her, and put her back to it. Inching further along the wall in order to make room for the other two who would be following her in, she went a good dozen steps before slumping down to the floor. They sure found the most inconvenient spots to make camp.
“Damn, I can’t see a blooming thing in here.” The detective’s grumble echoed around the small chamber.
“Anei?” It was the fox again. It was disturbing how concerned his voice sounded.
“She’s over there, against the wall,” Hiei growled. “She’ll be asleep in a moment, if I read her energy right.”
Sango blinked, irritated even as she stifled a yawn. Damn demon was right. Funny how it had suddenly hit her, after the fever of battle had worn off. She had used more of her demon energy than she had ever done before, in both blowing out the fire before the banshee-birds’ attack and fending off that damn youkai who had climbed inside her head. The remembrance should have made her angry, but it didn’t. She was too tired to think right now…it could wait for the morning…
Hiei didn’t bother making a comment, only stalking over to the other side and settling himself against the wall. Kurama debated a moment, before joining him. He didn’t want to wake up with another knife to the groin.
Yusuke grinned, and went to sit on the slayer’s side, though he put a good, safe distance between them. Leaning his shoulders against the solid stone behind him, he wished he had a pillow. Hell, a blanket and a good, soft mattress wouldn’t be such a bad thing, either. He cracked a yawn, letting the tight muscles in his back and shoulders go one by one as that old hag Genkai had taught him.
He heard a light snore to his right and glanced over at the slumped girl with a chuckle. “Wow. She snores.”
“Delightful.” That sour opinion came from the fire demon, who was only a glowing pair of fiery eyeballs across from him.
“Heh.” That noise was Kurama’s amused snort. It was much like Hiei’s signature “Hn.” Annoyingly vague and useful in any circumstance. Stupid demons. Yusuke yawned again, thinking the girl had the right idea. Drawing his knees up, he crossed his arms and leaned his head on them, his louder snores soon joining Anei’s in the quiet darkness.
“Humans are weak,” Hiei answered, as if that explained it.
“Neither of them is truly human anymore,” Kurama pointed out.
“Hn.”
The fox leaned his head wearily against the wall, wrinkling his nose at the fetid aroma of ripe bear in the cave. It was better, at least, than the ripe smell of rotting bird-youkai. Closing his eyes, he said simply, “Tell me what you saw. In her mind.”
“Hmph.” He felt Hiei stir beside him, heard the scrape of his boots on the stone floor as he drew his legs up to rest his arms on his bent knees. “Not much. She shielded herself well, for a novice.” The compliment was given grudgingly. “But I saw this demon she’s seeking, this Naraku.”
“A rather melodramatic name,” Kurama noted dryly.
“Typical arrogance for a demon who probably isn’t all that powerful. I’ve never heard of him. Have you?”
“No.” Opening his eyes, Kurama frowned. “And neither has Youko. But he was not in the human world during the Sengoku Jidai.”
“The Sengoku Jidai?” Hiei was skeptical.
“Yes. Anei was a human taiji-ya in the Warring States Era. I don’t know how she gained the heart of a wind youkai, that’s as much a mystery as to why she’s been tracking a demon for five hundred years.”
“That’s a long time,” Hiei growled. “I would think she’d prove more capable than that.”
“She hasn’t been able to cross the kakai barrier. From what I can deduce, Spirit World has prevented her from even getting close to it.”
“Hn.”
“Yes,” Kurama agreed. He was silent for a long time, than asked, “What about this brother of hers, Kohaku?”
“I saw his face. And I felt her anguish and terror.” The fire demon was quiet for a moment. “And a lot of anger. A lot of anger.”
Kurama mulled over the few things she had revealed. “I wonder if this demon Naraku possessed him.”
Hiei shot him a look, then nodded as he grasped the connection between the girl’s questions about Yusuke’s ancestor and what he had seen in the girl’s mind. The boy had been empty-eyed, like one who had no awareness. “I think it was her brother who caused that wound on her back. I felt the pain of it, like an echo from her past.”
“There is still a lot we don’t know.” Kurama sighed.
Hiei didn’t reply, letting his silence be agreement.
“I want to help her.” Kurama’s voice was low as if he admitted a shameful secret.
“I haven’t missed your regard.” Hiei smirked. “You’ve been rather obvious. Even the Detective has noted it.”
The fox flushed, but said nothing.
“I can understand.” Hiei’s eyes closed, though one corner of his mouth quirked slightly when the fox turned to regard him with a raised brow.
“Heh.” Kurama turned his attention back to the front. He felt the demon beside him slowly slipping into a light dose. Closing his eyes, he finally allowed himself the same luxury, and all was quiet in the darkness as the four slept the weariness of the day away.
THE HEART WITHIN
Summary: She has carried vengeance in her shadowed heart for 500 years, sacrificing her self for that dream. Now, Sango just might get her chance… (IY/YYH crossover)
A/N: I AM SO GOING TO DRAGON-CON!!!!!! Holy crap, I just needed to shout that out because holy hot pistachios! My sass is going to be in Atlanta over Labor Day and I am so going to meet Anne McCaffrey and I am so going to have the time of my life at the best all-con ever!
*cough*
Resuming dignity now.
Oh, hell, flock it. I am so excited I’m squeeing like a Sessy-fangirl who just got to stroke his furry boa. (Not the only thing I wouldn’t mind stroking on that sexy not-so-little demon lord…)
Enough of me…on with the story!
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR YYH BLACK AND THE THREE KINGS SAGA!
WORD DEFINITIONS
Naraku - hell
Chapter Six
“I can find him.”
If he could, than even this would be worth it.
Wait---if this was so bad, than why was she bothering?
She didn’t know, and couldn’t answer that question, even for herself, and so she ignored it, and kept walking, knowing they followed her grudging lead as she tromped through the woods---what had the fox called it? The Forest of Fools? How appropriate.
She felt like a fool. This truce---or whatever the hell you called it---went against every solid argument her distrustful mind could come up with, and still she stayed, sworn word or no. Perhaps it was atonement for putting the fox in such an embarrassing position earlier, perhaps it was just curiosity, to see if that red-eyed jerk would actually do what he said he could. Perhaps it was just the Mazoku, who so achingly reminded her of Inuyasha. Perhaps she was just a fool who never learned.
Perhaps it was none of those, and something else entirely---her treacherous, weaker self just tired of the loneliness and the empty memories that were cold comfort to the realization of her quest’s possible end. Maybe she was just seeking something, anything, to distract her from thinking about it---about her brother, and her friends, the rage and the hate. It was a disturbing thought, and one she shied away from. Revenge was all she had, was all she needed. Nothing else. Nothing.
If the fire demon could help her find it faster, than all for the better. For once she had Naraku in her sight, than it would all be worth it. Every damn single moment and every single damn sacrifice. Revenge was all that mattered, nothing else---except to free her brother. That would be her reward. Naraku’s bloody death would just be icing on the cake.
“Wow, you’re quiet.”
Sango said nothing, only flicking her eyes to the detective who had drawn up beside her. He had his hands in the pockets of his torn jeans, as if they were strolling through a park, rather than a menacing demon’s woods in the middle of the night. He was downright incorrigible.
“So, tell me, how long have you worked for old diaper-pants’ father?”
Unbelievable that he wanted to make conversation. He must be bored. He seemed a little A.D.D.
She ignored him, withdrawing into herself with icy disdain.
“You know,” he looked at her, a glint in his brown eyes, “I could keep talking, and you could keep ignoring me, but then I could talk about whatever the hell I want to. Like how nice a rack you got.”
Sango stopped dead in her tracks.
He grinned, tossed her a wink, and sauntered past. He even started whistling, as if he had just won the round.
*Jerk.*
“You must pardon Yusuke. He’s not the most politic.”
She turned to glance at the fox, who had come up from behind, the fire demon his silent shadow. Tossing her head with a poignant glare, she stalked on after the sauntering perv, who continued whistling an off-key tune that made her wince. *Correction: Inuyasha was never that much of a jerk.*
Miroku, maybe, but not Inuyasha.
She squelched that thought, and ignored the two who now trailed her so closely. What was with guys anyway? Damn, but they were irritating!
“Hey, guys!” The detective abruptly stopped way up ahead of them and turned to wave. “I think I found us a cave!”
“With our luck, something’s probably already taken up residence there,” Kurama murmured dolefully.
“He wouldn’t just walk in---” Hiei growled, then let out a gusty sigh. “He would. Idiot.”
There was a roar, one that shook the very ground beneath them. Sango tried to brace herself against the shuddering under her feet and stiffened when she felt the fox’s hand curl over her elbow to help steady her. He let go as quickly as she scowled, and was already running for the cave-mouth, where another roar of fury sent leaves scattering off the nearest trees. There was a faint shout, and Sango ran after the fox, the fire demon seeming to vanish into thin air as he took off.
“SPIRIT GUN!”
Sango held up an arm to shield her eyes against the sudden flash of glaring white light that flared from the cave’s mouth. It was like a florescent light-bulb had just been seared across her inner eyeballs, and she reflexively crouched back behind a tree, eyes watering as her dizzy vision shot rainbows across her retinas. Cursing the idiot under her breath, she gripped the hilt of her sword as she felt hands curl around her shoulders.
“Blink, it helps.” It was the fox, and she tensed as he helped her back up to her unsteady feet.
“What was he thinking?” the fire demon growled somewhere to her right.
“Can you see, Hiei?” the fox said somewhere above her head.
“Of course,” the demon retorted. “I know enough to close my eyes when that fool starts shooting.”
“Hey, guys! Cave’s cleared!”
“Peachy.” Sango couldn’t hold back a faint smile at the apparition’s dark mutter.
“Are you all right?” She felt a light thumb trail across her wet lashes in inquiry and she jerked away from the surprisingly tender gesture.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, escaping his loose hold and nearly knocking herself against the tree behind her. There was a derisive laugh from the fire youkai, and she sent him an icy glare (in what she hoped was his direction) before using her fingers to trail around the tree’s thick trunk. She could feel the fox following her, still concerned, and she blinked harder, trying to regain her vision. The darkness was hard to pierce after so brilliant a flash, and she finally stood still long enough to recover her sight.
“What’s taking y’all so long?” She could suddenly see the Mazoku, hands on his hips, as he confronted them.
“You are an idiot,” Hiei growled, before vanishing. He reappeared by the cave’s entrance, where she could barely make out his darker shadow disappearing into the black maw of the rocky verge.
“What was it you killed?” Kurama asked, and Yusuke shrugged.
“A bear, I think, except it had three eyes and some type of weird armor, like pieces of a turtle’s shell. Craziest bear I ever saw. It wasn’t too happy about me barging in without knocking.” He grinned unabashedly. “Anyways, coast’s clear now.”
“How convenient.” The dry irony was lost on the former Spirit Detective, and so Kurama turned back to Sango, who just watched them with a faint frown. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, and shrugged. She suddenly felt tired and was more than ready to get off her feet. It had been a long day, full of more surprises than she really cared for.
Ignoring them, she stalked to the cave, nimbly jumping past the outcropping of stones that thrust up through the grassy knoll it rested upon. The trees grew right up to the hill’s base, and moss must have once overhung the entrance as it did the roof, before the detective’s energy blast had blown it away. She didn’t like the thick darkness of the cave itself, or the stink of charred bear and old musk that still lingered like a fetid blanket across the entrance, but refused to hesitate while the others were watching.
Sauntering in, she almost tripped over a stone in her path, and did fall right against a warm wall of solid muscle. “Umph!”
“Watch where you’re going, fool.” The red eyes she looked up into were glowing faintly in reaction to the darkness. She couldn’t see anything else, but could fancy his disdain as he pushed her upright. His hands lingered a bit too long, though, on her shoulders, and she distanced herself with a growl.
“Won’t happen again, I can promise you that.” She felt the curve of wall behind her, and put her back to it. Inching further along the wall in order to make room for the other two who would be following her in, she went a good dozen steps before slumping down to the floor. They sure found the most inconvenient spots to make camp.
“Damn, I can’t see a blooming thing in here.” The detective’s grumble echoed around the small chamber.
“Anei?” It was the fox again. It was disturbing how concerned his voice sounded.
“She’s over there, against the wall,” Hiei growled. “She’ll be asleep in a moment, if I read her energy right.”
Sango blinked, irritated even as she stifled a yawn. Damn demon was right. Funny how it had suddenly hit her, after the fever of battle had worn off. She had used more of her demon energy than she had ever done before, in both blowing out the fire before the banshee-birds’ attack and fending off that damn youkai who had climbed inside her head. The remembrance should have made her angry, but it didn’t. She was too tired to think right now…it could wait for the morning…
ooOOooOOooOOoo
“Did she just pass out?” Yusuke did a double-take as his eyesight adjusted to the inky darkness, finally revealing the slumped-over slayer on the far side of the cave. “Damn, Hiei, she’s just like you.”Hiei didn’t bother making a comment, only stalking over to the other side and settling himself against the wall. Kurama debated a moment, before joining him. He didn’t want to wake up with another knife to the groin.
Yusuke grinned, and went to sit on the slayer’s side, though he put a good, safe distance between them. Leaning his shoulders against the solid stone behind him, he wished he had a pillow. Hell, a blanket and a good, soft mattress wouldn’t be such a bad thing, either. He cracked a yawn, letting the tight muscles in his back and shoulders go one by one as that old hag Genkai had taught him.
He heard a light snore to his right and glanced over at the slumped girl with a chuckle. “Wow. She snores.”
“Delightful.” That sour opinion came from the fire demon, who was only a glowing pair of fiery eyeballs across from him.
“Heh.” That noise was Kurama’s amused snort. It was much like Hiei’s signature “Hn.” Annoyingly vague and useful in any circumstance. Stupid demons. Yusuke yawned again, thinking the girl had the right idea. Drawing his knees up, he crossed his arms and leaned his head on them, his louder snores soon joining Anei’s in the quiet darkness.
ooOOooOOooOOoo
“They’re exhausted,” Kurama said lightly.“Humans are weak,” Hiei answered, as if that explained it.
“Neither of them is truly human anymore,” Kurama pointed out.
“Hn.”
The fox leaned his head wearily against the wall, wrinkling his nose at the fetid aroma of ripe bear in the cave. It was better, at least, than the ripe smell of rotting bird-youkai. Closing his eyes, he said simply, “Tell me what you saw. In her mind.”
“Hmph.” He felt Hiei stir beside him, heard the scrape of his boots on the stone floor as he drew his legs up to rest his arms on his bent knees. “Not much. She shielded herself well, for a novice.” The compliment was given grudgingly. “But I saw this demon she’s seeking, this Naraku.”
“A rather melodramatic name,” Kurama noted dryly.
“Typical arrogance for a demon who probably isn’t all that powerful. I’ve never heard of him. Have you?”
“No.” Opening his eyes, Kurama frowned. “And neither has Youko. But he was not in the human world during the Sengoku Jidai.”
“The Sengoku Jidai?” Hiei was skeptical.
“Yes. Anei was a human taiji-ya in the Warring States Era. I don’t know how she gained the heart of a wind youkai, that’s as much a mystery as to why she’s been tracking a demon for five hundred years.”
“That’s a long time,” Hiei growled. “I would think she’d prove more capable than that.”
“She hasn’t been able to cross the kakai barrier. From what I can deduce, Spirit World has prevented her from even getting close to it.”
“Hn.”
“Yes,” Kurama agreed. He was silent for a long time, than asked, “What about this brother of hers, Kohaku?”
“I saw his face. And I felt her anguish and terror.” The fire demon was quiet for a moment. “And a lot of anger. A lot of anger.”
Kurama mulled over the few things she had revealed. “I wonder if this demon Naraku possessed him.”
Hiei shot him a look, then nodded as he grasped the connection between the girl’s questions about Yusuke’s ancestor and what he had seen in the girl’s mind. The boy had been empty-eyed, like one who had no awareness. “I think it was her brother who caused that wound on her back. I felt the pain of it, like an echo from her past.”
“There is still a lot we don’t know.” Kurama sighed.
Hiei didn’t reply, letting his silence be agreement.
“I want to help her.” Kurama’s voice was low as if he admitted a shameful secret.
“I haven’t missed your regard.” Hiei smirked. “You’ve been rather obvious. Even the Detective has noted it.”
The fox flushed, but said nothing.
“I can understand.” Hiei’s eyes closed, though one corner of his mouth quirked slightly when the fox turned to regard him with a raised brow.
“Heh.” Kurama turned his attention back to the front. He felt the demon beside him slowly slipping into a light dose. Closing his eyes, he finally allowed himself the same luxury, and all was quiet in the darkness as the four slept the weariness of the day away.