InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Knight ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Ok, firstly, I am deeply sorry for the semi-long wait, I had meant to post this chapter yesterday, but a lot of things that I could not control happened. And also I'm sorry for my past A/n's…but I'll get into that at the end of the chapter. Though I must thank DeadlySoulCaster for her review…it literally woke me up, I thank you. And dedicate this chapter to you.

 

And thank you to all of my other reviewers, I love you all. Anyway, enough of my blatherings, enjoy the chapter.

 

Chapter 6

 

Kagome woke up to a familiar poking in her side. She groaned and turned in her position, but still the poking persisted. She should have known that Shippo wouldn't stop his beloved distraction on her whim.

 

“Stop it,” she whined pitifully, trying to grab onto the lovely realms of sleep once again.

 

“I have to wake you somehow,” he pointed out, knowing she was awake. She sat up before him and stretched, showing her enlarged canines.

 

“Come on, we have to eat before we leave,” Shippo whined, glaring as the demoness bent backwards to pop her back like they had nothing of importance to do that day. She flipped over slowly then stood up behind him reveling in the feeling of relaxed muscles once more.

 

“Oh hush, you gripe too much for a child” she commented, brushing the stray twigs and leaves from her yukatta.

 

“It makes me wonder just who the child realty is,” he muttered spitefully glaring over at her with his arms folded in front of him cutely. Kagome paused in her ministrations and gazed over at him. She then placed her hair in a loose bun and walked off leaving the miffed kitsune to glare at her back.

 

“Are you coming or do I have to eat all the food myself?” she called back to the now stunned kitsune. Shippo scowled at her and scampered off in her direction as quickly as his little feet would carry him.

 

Sesshoumaru watched the scene unfold before him, he had been resting above ground in order to keep a better watch out and aid the wind to dry the cuffs of his hakamas. He had woken up a bit later than he had planned, which was something he detested passionately, and had decided to leave the two to sleep a bit more whilst he went to the nearby stream to take care of his more hazardous (by human standards) wounds.

 

His mind drifted as he listened to them by the stream, Kagome, what was she, what has she become? She had the grace of a feline, yet the full appearance of a human, save for the more prominent features that all humanoid youkai possess. Her inky black hair and more dangerous blue eyes gave the impression that she was a panther, or related to one.

 

He recalled her saying that she was being trained to kill without remorse. Most panther youkai were skilled assassins by trade, so it would make perfect sense for Naraku to want to use such a youkai.

 

The next taxing thought to cross his mind was; how the hanyou managed to create a youkai, from a human, a miko no less. Youkai and miko were mortal enemies since the beginning of life itself, so how was it that a mere overzealous maniac created a powerful youkai from a miko? The woman's power would pose as the first threat, purifying the alien blood upon contact. But to get that out of the way, one would need another miko, a dark miko presumably.

 

Who was the dark miko that the hanyou had contacts with?

 

He snapped himself out of his brooding as he heard the two coming back; a sopping wet kitsune cub was chasing the demoness with fire in his eyes. They seemed to hold a sibling like relationship now, rather than the protective mother he had seen when the demoness was human. Said demoness was hunched over in fits of laughter, making him begin to wonder just what was so funny. She calmed herself down and looked up at him a goofy grin etched into her face. It was then that the thought came to him, the miko Naraku had in his servitude, the undead miko Kikyo.

 

“Good Morning Sesshoumaru-san,” she greeted brightly, promptly ignoring the ranting kitsune behind her. He heard bits of said rant, the reason for her laughter as clear as day to him now.

 

As sly as a feline, he should add that one to his list also.

 

“I can't believe you did that!” Shippo ended pouting cutely and looking up at her with `hurt' emerald eyes.

 

“Hey, its not my fault you went fishing in a particularly deep spot,” she defended smartly, her cobalt eyes shining in unhidden mirth.

 

“You threw me!” he yelled,

 

“I did no such thing,” she commented blithely,

 

“Humph,” the kitsune huffed turning away from her.

 

“Well you aren't riding on me,” she said before bursting into gales of more controlled laughter, “it was funny when you flew though,” she snickered giving herself away.

 

“I still can't believe you!” he whined.

 

“I couldn't resist, you were literally asking for it, I just… helped out a little.” She continued, “Oh hush, it was funny and you know it,”

 

“You're insufferable!” he yelled good-naturedly

 

“Oh well,” she sighed, before eying his drenched form, “You're still not riding on me.”

 

“If you two are quite done, we will leave now,” Sesshoumaru intervened, standing from his perch. As humorous as he found watching those two bicker, they still had to depart for his castle.

 

“How comes we didn't leave at daybreak as planned?” Kagome asked, she was curious about it; he didn't look like the type of person to go back on a promise of any kind. And she had wanted to see what the sunrise looked like.

 

“Plans change,” Sesshoumaru answered stiffly, sticking his nose partially in the air haughtily.

 

“He woke up late,” Shippo pointed out silently to the demoness, “Taking the time to fully heal then I woke you up,” the demon lord retained the urge to throttle kitsune.

 

“Okay,” Kagome shrugged, she really didn't care if the man overslept or not. Sesshoumaru swiftly and silently landed from his perch and began walking away, Kagome and Shippo following silently.

 

(o)

 

“So have you remembered anything yet?” Shippo asked during their extensive walk, somewhere along the way he had deemed himself fully dried and hopped upon her shoulder, slowly inching his way up to her head. He was now looking down at her; technically he was the same level as her, the only difference being that he was upside down.

 

“I've stopped trying actually. Because every time I do try, I get this feeling that something's slicing my arm open,” she replied shrugging lightly.

 

“Maybe it has to do with the scar on your arm, you know the shield looking one,” he commented, “the last time I tried I got knocked out.”

 

“Where were you when we got taken away?” she asked her kitsune friend, pausing slightly in her walk.

 

“I think I was in your hair, I'm not sure,” the kit said groggily, Kagome nodded at this and continued walking with a sigh. She looked up and noticed that their guardian was ahead of them. She sighed heavily and jogged up to catch up to him.

 

Said demon lord heard their small conversation easily from his place ahead of them, and from what he heard of the clues given, it sounded like a simple sealing spell. Simple to miko, extremely complex to demons.

 

“Um, Sesshoumaru-san, I don't mean to complain or anything, but can we rest here, its already past dusk,” she ventured, true they had been traveling the entire day with no rest stop, he was probably trying to make up for the lost time of that morning, but her feet were beginning to hurt, and Shippo was beginning to drool on her scalp.

 

The demon lord sighed and took a seat under a canopy of trees, silently watching the demoness. She put down the kitsune by a protruding root; he curled into a ball at her loss of warmth but didn't wake. She continued with her goal of going to the river they had been traveling parallel to.

 

He heard the splashing of water, she was cleaning herself, thus giving his time to think on the matter a bit more. The miko Kikyo aided the dark hanyou in sealing away the miko energy of the once-human girl, thus making it an easier task to change her essence to that of a youkai.

 

But then the next problem would be the actual transformation, he knew of such a thing, but it was never tried, the potion made was to be taken in by the subject and the change would take effect immediately, but the transformation was to be complete in one lunar cycle, according to her, only half of such cycle had passed. Could it be that the hanyou had found a way to quicken the unused process? Or was it that she was not complete?

 

He felt a small pulse of power coming from the direction of the ex-miko, as a strangled yelp coming form the throat of said ex-miko. He got up to investigate; knowing that there were no threats in the area, and that there was the added problem of the demoness's probable nudity.

 

He found said demoness sitting on a boulder, her yukatta wrapped loosely around her frame, the left sleeve was off her shoulder showing her now milky white skin, and a black outline of a crooked shield on said arm. She was looking blankly into the water, while biting her lip.

 

She turned to look at him; she was startled with his sudden appearance he could see. She had begun to urgently wipe at her eyes and cheeks to stop the flow of tears he had not smelt. Another thing to ponder on later. She did nothing to hide her bareness because as he could see, she was not exposed at all, not in the slightest. Under her kimono she wore bandages, covering her more private of areas and a few wounds.

 

“Sesshoumaru-san, I-I'm sorry if I have disturbed you,” she said, hastily rising from her position to bow slightly in his direction, he waved off the apology carelessly, he did not care if she felt sorry for disturbing him, he wanted answers.

 

“You have not completed your transformation have you?” he asked, though it was more a statement than question. The girl nodded, wincing slightly as a tremor of pain rain through her body. That nod confirmed his suspicions about Naraku's reasoning for hiding the girl during the battle, he knew the hazards it posed to send an under trained warrior to fight.

 

He noticed the crooked shield was pulsing, out of curiosity, he stepped closer to examine it, and she shied away. She covered the scar with a pale claw tipped arm, that he noticed now harbored black spiral around the wrist. It seemed as if it was burnt into the skin, if the red inflamed skin around it was any indication.

 

“Please, don't” she asked looking at him with tormented indigo eyes; he could see the pain she was going through as she pleaded with him to not touch her. He now knew that the carefree kitten he sees playing with the kitsune, which they had so carefully left at their camp, was a pretense, a mask to hide a despondent woman who was being tormented by a villain she had thought she escaped from.

 

“Come, you need rest.” He commanded, watching as she got up and tied her obi properly around her frame, hiding the source of her inner suffering from his eyes.

 

(o)

 

They spent their nights like that, while Shippo slept; they spoke, mainly him asking questions and her answering to the best of her hindered ability. He understood her pain, and he didn't judge her for the way she handled it. That was something she was grateful for about the demon.

 

She knew that their nightly conversations were something to keep her mind off of the pain her body underwent at night, another thing she was thankful for about the demon.

 

She also enjoyed somewhat their conversations at night; he gave her the freedom to speak of her personal thoughts, when he was not questioning her about Naraku, and he didn't make any snide remarks or question her sanity, as she knew he sometimes wanted to do.

 

He did not reveal anything about himself, though sometimes she prodded, she could see that he was a youkai of high status, and that he fought with himself sometimes to not answer her. She had come to the conclusion that they, herself and Shippo, knew him, and that he knew about them, but she didn't prod on those topics, telling herself that if he felt she should know then he would tell her, though she sometimes wondered why it wouldn't do good to tell her about her past.

 

She also found out that he was an egotistical ass, and that he always found ways to get under her skin, most times, she noted, he did for fun. Something that miffed her to no end.

 

And that was how they found themselves the third night of their journey, sitting by a campfire, made on impulse as he noted, and conversing.

 

“Villages sure are far apart,” she commented, poking the flames with a deadened tree branch she found.

 

“I am not taking you to a village,” he replied looking over at her form illuminated by the orange glow.

 

“Why not?” she asked glancing over at him curiously

 

“Because I prefer to have no dealings with humans,” he replied, yes he was an ass, but he was also good company.

 

“Then where are we going?” she asked

 

“I am taking you to my castle in the West,”

 

“You own a castle in the west?” she had to keep him going, he was letting out information, and she could finally know something about this mysterious demon: exactly who he was and quite possibly, where she knew him.

 

“I am the Lord of those lands woman.” He said, he knew what she was doing, and he commended her for doing it. He had not given her any information about himself since they started this journey. He wasn't sure if she was trustworthy enough to tell her anything personal, Naraku could control her and his words used against him.

 

She had tried many a way to get him to unconsciously divulge anything, and he had dodged every one of them with a smirk. But now he willingly revealed his title, it was a necessary hurdle to jump, for she would find out somewhere along the way.

 

She looked at him in surprise, her whole being tensed slightly he knew not if was from pain or something else. He figured it was an especially big blow to stomach, finding out that your companion was practically a king. It made one unsure about themselves, and how they acted.

 

“Oh. I-I'm “ she stuttered for something to say, but what could she say to a revelation like that one. She half wished that he would say then that it was a joke and laugh at her, even if it was to just ease the tension that formed, but she knew that something like that would never fall from the lips of the demon beside her, he just wasn't that type of person. But now, thinking on it, just what did she know about him, was what she thought true? She didn't know what to think anymore.

 

The other half of her wanted to crawl in a hole and die, or for Naraku to come back for her, or something to leave this now oppressive presence. So she stood from her log and dusted herself off, she turned to him, and bowed meekly, “I'm sorry, m-my lord, but I need my rest at the moment,” she whispered from her prostrate form. She then straightened and walked over to where Shippo slept, unaware of it all, and sat beside him, closing her eyes.

 

Sesshoumaru sighed silently, as he watched her; he had now put her in a position where she was unsure of where she stood around him. He had seen the realization dawn in her eyes, she knew nothing about him and he could tell that it scared her. She realized the fissure that separated her from him, that he was going way out of his way to help a peasant like herself.

 

As he watched her, he felt the stirrings of guilt tie themselves around him. To say he was surprised to feel the alien emotion wash over him would be a vast understatement. He understood, though, why he felt even the slightest bit guilty. He had grown to accept her company, as she had grown fond to his. He knew most if not all there is to know about the girl, from her habits to dislike of insects, and she knew nothing of him.

 

The demon lord sighed once again; he may as well get some rest himself.

 

(o)

 

During the day Sesshoumaru watched her estranged behavior with a hooded gaze, he noticed that she kept her gaze to the floor most of the time, save for when she was addressing Shippo. She was quieter. It was as if she had fully submitted to him.

 

That thought alone made the guilt come back full force.

 

She was most likely ashamed of her behavior towards him, before she knew of his status; she really hadn't cared about the things he really prided himself in. She hadn't cared if he wanted them to do double time on travel because he felt they missed valuable time because of sleep, it didn't matter to her that he hated humans, nor did it strike her as odd when he stayed up at night.

 

But now she made it an obligation that she got up during the sunrise as to not hinder the lord from his duty. She didn't complain when they continued traveling even well into the night. Nor did she go to the ever-present river to check her new attributes anymore. Nothing to hinder her new lord from his duty of getting back to his household.

 

Though why should her new, yet odd, behavior make him guilt ridden, wasn't he the one who demanded respect and full submission? Then why was it that the submission of this spitfire miko-turned-demoness, just by the hearing of his title, making him feel… saddened?

 

Was it that he suddenly felt like he was taking advantage of her? In some way or another.

 

As the day wound down, he watched her quiet moves; she built a fire, caught food for herself and Shippo to eat, and then sat down to sleep. He knew she didn't sleep until the moon was high in the sky, he heard it in her breathing.

 

Once he was certain that the kit was asleep, he stood and called out to her. She looked at him with stormy blue eyes confusedly. He motioned for her to walk with him as he left under the thick canopy of trees. She stumbled up and followed him as he stopped by the river. She stood behind him, unsure of what exactly to do.

 

After a moment's awkward silence, she heard him sigh deeply and ask her; “why do you react so?” the question itself took her by surprise, and she had to pause to think on her answer.

 

“I am naught but a peasant in the presence of a sovereign. Put in my shoes, would you not feel awkward?” She asked. He was surprised with the weight of her words. Not only was she confused, she was also hurt, hurt that he would keep something that substantial from her, even after she told him all she knew about herself. Not to mention that she didn't prod about the fact that he knew things about her.

 

He wanted to apologize, but it was beneath him. But the feeling still persisted. He cared nothing for the woman, so why was it that she brought out these new feelings within him? And why was it that he allowed it? Was it that he felt some semblance of compassion for her, did he think of her as… dare he think it, a friend?

 

He turned slightly to look at her, she was looking away, and he noticed the spirals on both her wrists, they had become more prominent. Standing out even more on her soft flesh. There was also a scar-like mark vertically along the contour of her right cheek. It looked fairly new for the skin around it was irritated.

 

“I apologize,” he said quietly, wondering if she even heard it. The sound of her hair swishing along her kimono rapidly stated that she had snapped her head around to look at him. She was looking at him with wide confused eyes. So he continued, “I express regret for my behavior towards you, my withholding of necessary information. It was ill of me.”

 

Her breath hitched in her small throat, was he apologizing? He was apologizing for not telling her. It seems that that was something he did not hold it to himself to do. She could only nod slightly, still unsure of what to do around him.

 

He sat and motioned for her to do the same. She found a small rock and sat upon it, watching him, waiting for him to do something. When he did she was shocked into silence. He was telling her about a ward he had, was it that he felt compelled to do so or was it that he was complacent?

 

She opened her mouth to interrupt him, stating that he didn't have to, but he cut her off before she even begun, “I want to tell you, we are… friends after all are we not?” he asked kindly. Kagome was dumbstruck; did he call her a friend? The word seemed foreign coming from his mouth, and the way he paused, as if looking for the right word to use, told her that he didn't have many friends. She felt special to be bestowed this strange honor.

 

(o)

 

OK well heres the deal, I was very very VERY depressed, and I guess I was just looking ofr some attention of someway to make me feel better. I went about it the wrong way, and im SORRY, really I am. I had broken up with my boyfriend of god knows how long a month or so ago, and it was NASTY, so I was like really down, and then something happened, im not even sure what, and we were thinking of getting back together, then it all fell apart, I don't even know if were talking anymore. *sigh* so yeah, that's my sad story.

 

I was over a firend's house and I read my reviews, and DeadlySoulCaster's just stood out, you should read it.,, its on my mediaminer page but I cant give you the link, ff.net will eat it up…u__u

 

So yeah, I'm all perky again and happy and I love you all :hugs: I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!