InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Path You Follow ❯ In Folly Ripe, in Reason Rotten ( Chapter 14 )

The Path You Follow

By: EvilNekoEatsYourSoul

Author's note: Here's the next chapter! The beginning of this chapter is a bit confusing. Lines like this: ~words~ are from the poem `The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd,' by Sir Walter Raleigh (oh, the title is from the poem as well). If anyone is interested I'll post that poem along with another poem that goes along with it on my homepage. Hope you enjoy and please review!

Last time: Kagome stiffened, her hand instantly going to the jewel hanging from her throat as Inuyasha took a defensive stance in front of her with both Sango and Miroku close behind. The blue eyes set into Yukiko's face turned towards the group appraisingly.

"That could work."

Chapter 14: In Folly Ripe, in Reason Rotten

~*~

"Sesshoumaru," the name echoed in her head, a silent mantra that somehow gave her strength.

~If all the world and love were young…~

At that moment her heart ached for him. A deep, piercing, wonderful hurt in her chest that made her eyes water. It was so ridiculous to be worrying about him at such an inconvenient time. Although the kuroi miko had gone, she had planted a seed of rebellion within the spirits residing in Yukiko.

They were being attacked by one of their allies and all she saw was silver hair, golden eyes, cheeks lined with crimson stripes and a stern frown. `What's wrong with me?' Kagome thought as she narrowly missed being hit by one of Takehiko's wayward blasts.

In all the background noises she could hear Inuyasha cursing vehemently. In her hands Kagome could feel the smooth wood bow and the quiver of arrows hanging from her shoulder and resting on her back. Blindly, she reached for an arrow and without much thought she knocked it.

They couldn't fight her forever. Something had to be done soon, but the question was, what? If they killed Takehiko it would mean the death of Yukiko as well, and killing an innocent girl was unacceptable.

Then there was the smirk that Sesshoumaru sometimes wore to bed…

Sango was calling out to Miroku, a panicked tone tinting her voice.

The sweet words he would whisper into her ear when it was just the two of them…

~A honey tongue, a heart of gall…~

If Yukiko could just take control of her body, if they could get her to overcome Takehiko…

~A honey tongue…~

The small endearing things he said that made her heart flutter uncontrollably, that made her weak in the knees but strengthened her heart at the same time.

~A heart of gall…~

~Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's… fall.~

"Inuyasha," she heard herself whisper.

A tornado of thoughts spun through her head; uneasy glances, adoring eyes, innocent touches, a hidden attraction. It was easy noticing these things; she had lived through that phase, loving someone you could never hope to have.

"Inuyasha," she said it louder and this time it reached his sensitive ears.

"What, can't you see I'm a little busy right now?"

He dodged another blast of energy, Tetsusaiga was drawn but he wasn't using it offensively. For the most part, Kagome wasn't being targeted, most likely because hitting her would mean hitting the Shikon no tama and perhaps damaging what the possessed Yukiko needed in order to save herself.

"Talk to her Inuyasha."

"Why?"

To her right, Miroku pushed Sango to the side towards the transformed Kirara while using his staff to divert another blast.

"Just do it! I'll explain later."

"Hey you stupid wench! You're not getting your dirty hands on the Shikon no tama so why don't you just give up!"

Kagome sighed, hitting the palm of her hand against her forehead in an exasperated way.

"Not like that! Say something nice to her; something that will make Yukiko come back!"

Kirara flew towards Takehiko with Sango on her back holding Hiraikotsu, they tried to get close enough to at least subdue the girl. But they didn't seem to be getting far, preoccupied as they were with dodging the attacks.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes a `why me?' look on his face.

"Yukiko," Kagome yelled, "you have to take control of yourself! I know you can do it, we all do!"

There was a small, almost imperceptible pause of movement, for that second she faltered and slowly, Kagome began to move towards the girl.

"I told you before that everything was going to be alright and I still believe that. We can help you if you let us. All you have to do is concentrate, think of everything that is important to you; everything you love."

As Kagome drew closer, she could see beads of perspiration forming on Takehiko's brow.

"That's right," Inuyasha confirmed from her side, "you're part of our group now and I won't let anything happen to you. I always protect my friends."

The hands that had been releasing the destructive energy moments ago fell to Takehiko's side and her knees shook and gave, causing her to fall to the forest floor. Her body began to quiver and shaky hands went to rest above her heart as her eyes drifted shut.

"I-Inuyasha?" the voice was soft and timid, full of fear and doubt but it was Yukiko's and upon hearing it Kagome rushed to the girls side.

As soon as Kagome touched her Yukiko fell into the miko's arms and began to cough violently as a few tears fell from her closed eyelids. Her chest burned and ached from both lack of air and the force with which her coughs shook her ribs. It was the only movements the weakened girl could make. After about a minute the coughing subsided and she was able to speak.

"Kill me," was the first words she whispered.

Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He recalled a time when Kagome had been possessed as well, unable to control her actions and seeking to kill him; but at that time Kagome hadn't made such a ridiculous request.

"Feh! What is it with you stupid girls being so damn dramatic all the time?"

"It's the only way to stop them… It hurts, to hold them like this."

"If you would just shut up for a minute, we can think of a way to save you wench!"

"Inuyasha… osuwari."

The hanyou went crashing to the ground, creating an oddly shaped hole and cursing. Yukiko kept talking as if she couldn't hear.

"You're my friends; I don't want to hurt you but I can't fight them. I'm too weak."

"I know how you feel, but if you could just hold on a little longer I have an idea."

As she gently lay the girl down to rest and hopefully keep a hold over her own body, Kagome wondered at the girl's timing. It would seem she had been correct in her assessment of Yukiko; she had been able to fight off the spirits right after Inuyasha had spoken.

`Love is a strange thing. I wonder, if his voice could call me back if my mind were lost.' Just thinking of Sesshoumaru's voice made her shiver. He was powerful; immortal and in so many ways he was wrong for her.

~But could youth last and love still breed,

Had joys no date nor age no need,

Then these delights my mind might move

To live with thee and be thy love.~

~*~

"Where are we going?" Rin asked, walking happily next to Kisho and holding the youkai's hand as Shippou pouted, walking behind them.

Kisho eyed the girl a bit skeptically, she didn't seem at all afraid that they were wandering around the empty castle of her captor. She, in fact, seemed oblivious to everything and continued to chatter nonsensically. There was also the fact that she would not let go of his hand that made him a bit uneasy.

From his position behind them, Shippou paused, his brow creasing and his nose twitching.

"Sesshoumaru is here," Shippou said.

"Hai, he is. I'm going to put you somewhere safe until he is ready to take you home."

"Liar! You're probably going to hide us so that he can't find us!" he accused, taking a few steps backwards to put distance between himself and the older youkai. Rin frowned, looking thoughtfully up at Kisho.

"I'm going to find him!" with that, Shippou took off in the opposite direction, using his nose to guide him to a window or door through which he could leave.

Sighing in irritation at the kitsune's constant distrust of him, Kisho thought of his next course of action. However, Rin had no such misgivings about what they should do next and tugged on his hand as she took chase after Shippou.

"Matte, Shippou! I want to see Sesshoumaru-sama too!"

`We might as well go to them,' Kisho thought as he followed the girl attached to his hand. `I'd like to see the look on my father's face when this ends.'

~*~

There was definitely something wrong. He could still sense his jyaki, but it was like he couldn't touch it; it hovered just out of his reach. For the last few hours he had noticed small things, like not being able to sense as fully the presence of his children. When some of them left he hadn't been made aware until Kisho told him. But now it was obvious, his eyes, keen with the vision of a bird of prey, could not capture the quick movements of his opponent. When he himself moved, it was forced, not with the easy grace he was used to. It felt like he was fighting to push himself beyond his limits when in reality he was as weak as… a human.

He had no idea what could cause this sudden change within him; he wondered if his sons had felt that way before they died as well. When that thought struck him panic began to set in. The lord of the Western lands was known for his precise, cold-blooded killing technique. Choukichirou had thought himself a formidable opponent, but without his youkai abilities he was nothing. He was sure that Sesshoumaru was just toying with him.

The fact of the matter was that Sesshoumaru wasn't taking his time in killing the Northern lord just for the sake of toying with the youkai, but instead he was concentrating on the other youkai auras around them. There was rumored to be thirteen sons belonging to his opponent, he had killed four so that left nine more. He stretched his senses until he could sense jyaki within a one-mile radius of his current position; so far he had detected five youkai.

If his nose was correct one of those youkai was Kagome's kitsune, which meant that four were most likely enemies that he should be wary of, even if every fight so far had been thoroughly disappointing and anti-climatic. Feeling rather irritated at the fact that not one of the youkai in this place had met eve his lowest expectations of their fighting ability, Sesshoumaru decided to end the current battle.

~*~

There was one talent he had received from his mother that no living person knew of. He could speak telepathically. When he entered the courtyard behind Shippou, they both paused just outside of the doorway and Kisho had pushed Rin behind him to keep her from running into the potentially dangerous fight. It was then that he chose to speak to his father.

`Having a difficult time, otousan?'

`Kisho!' he heard his name reverberating in his father's mind and smiled wickedly.

Just before Toukijin went through the Northern lord's chest, Sesshoumaru saw Choukichirou pause and frown, glancing behind him. Looking to that area as well, Sesshoumaru saw Shippou standing in front of another youkai, whose eyes looked triumphantly at the youkai impaled on the fang sword. From behind the two youkai, a dark head peeked out from directly behind the adolescent youkai, her innocent brown eyes seeing nothing but her guardian.

Choukichirou fell to the ground, not yet dead but drifting somewhere between the physical and spiritual worlds. Rin ran towards them, her eyes never leaving her Sesshoumaru-sama, Shippou followed slowly after her, his eyes studying the bleeding youkai on the ground.

Shippou spoke upon reaching his saviors side, "Where's Kagome?" he asked.

Ignoring him, Sesshoumaru continued to watch the bronze haired youkai now kneeling next to Choukichirou. His keen ears picked up the words between them.

"You did this?" the Northern lord questioned.

"Hai, it is a poison I found in one of my mother's books. If you were ningen you would be dead, but for a youkai it just dulls their senses, making them weak but not killing them. I poured nearly a whole barrel of it into the castle's water supply; after securing water for myself and the `prisoners,' of course."

The once proud youkai went silent, his ego keeping him from asking that one last question that Kisho yearned to hear.

"You want to ask me why," Kisho's voice was even as he drew the dagger that was tucked into his sash, "I know you won't ask it aloud, but I'll tell you."

It was strange, that he felt closer to his father at that moment than ever before, if only for the reason that his previously fearless father now felt some of the anguish he had experienced throughout his life. Nevertheless, the dagger was poised above the injured youkai, the point digging into the skin above his heart.

"My mother, you killed her. You killed her even as she held me in her arms that night and then you dismissed my presence. I hate you," he said simply, not letting the emotions welling within him show as he spoke. But his usually calm features distorted in anger when the youkai before him had the audacity to snort.

"Your mother was a worthless whore who-,"

He never had the chance to finish, the dagger went straight into his heart and the hilt stuck out from his chest even as Kisho stood and walked away.

~*~

The sun was just beginning to set as Kagome plucked the last of the herbs she needed from the forest ground. Inuyasha walked silently beside her, he had in fact, stayed silent the entire time she was gathering ingredients.

Together they headed back towards the camp that Sango, Yukiko and Miroku had been left at. Just as they were about to enter the clearing, Inuyasha grabbed her elbow and pulled her to the side behind a bush, silencing her with his serious look before she could speak. After her momentary shock wore off she could hear the voices of her friends.

"You should be more careful, Houshi-sama," Sango scolded, Kagome imagined that the taijiyaa was tending to the burn Miroku had received that afternoon. "There's no reason for you to be so reckless anymore now that the Kazaana is gone. You have a full life ahead of you."

"Hai, Sango. I just didn't want to see you get hurt. Your safety was the first thing in my mind."

Smiling, Kagome could imagine the flustered state Sango must be in due to the monk's admission. She internally prayed that he would keep his wandering hands to himself.

"Miroku, I-I can take care of myself I don't-,"

"I know you don't need anyone to watch over you, but I'd like to if you would allow it…"

Before Sango could reply the moment was shattered by a pain-filled groan. For the entire afternoon Yukiko had been drifting in and out of consciousness, only waking when a coughing fit came over her. Deeming it was safe to continue, Inuyasha stood and entered the clearing with Kagome following behind him.

"Do you need any help, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked; her cheeks looking a bit flushed.

"Well, if you could get some water boiling that would be great."

As Sango readied the water, Kagome placed the herbs she had gathered a few feet away from the fire before walking over to check on Yukiko.

She was paler than usual, her lips a ghastly shade of white with specks of dark blood dried upon them. Though she wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the fading light, Kagome thought the girl's face looked thinner, like the skin was pulled taut over the fine bones of her face. If it weren't for the sounds of her labored breathing, Kagome might have thought her to be dead already. It was obvious that the strain of keeping herself in tact, a task that took no effort for normal people, was weighing heavily upon her already brittle health.

With renewed energy, Kagome turned back to her task. In truth, she didn't need to expend much energy, all she had to do was boil some of the herbs. Usually some of the other ingredients would be dried and then ground into a fine powder, but since time was definitely not on their side, she had to use them as they were; fresh. All that really meant was that she should use more of them since the drying process intensified the potency of the herb.

When everything had been added and all that was left to do was to wait as they simmered in the boiling water, Inuyasha sat beside her, sniffing at the mixture.

"Ugh, that stinks! What is this great plan of yours anyways?"

A breeze made her shiver despite the long robes she wore. Inuyasha took off the top of his fire rat haori and draped it over her shoulders. Kagome didn't answer him until a minute later, her eyes focused on the fire.

"It's a sleeping elixir, if Yukiko's body is sleeping then it cannot be controlled. At least, that is what I'm hoping for," her voice was soft, and it seemed like there was more she wanted to say.

`I feel very lonely right now. I wish Sesshoumaru were here,' she thought.

"Why did you make so much?"

"We don't know when we'll find Kor- I mean, Midoriko. If we don't find her soon then I plan to take the elixir myself. Hopefully it will buy you guys more time, though it'll probably only last for a day."

Inuyasha placed his hand upon her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.

"Don't worry Kagome, we'll find her before that happens, but… there's something I don't get. Miroriko's soul is supposed to be in the Shikon no tama, right? So how is it that the kuroi miko is Midoriko?"

"Ah, Inuyasha that is a good question. I myself have been pondering that all day," Miroku said, sitting across the fire from Kagome. Sango took a seat next to the young miko.

"And?" Kagome asked.

"If I recall correctly, Kikyou-sama also died and was resurrected, correct?"

Everyone nodded, waiting patiently for the houshi to continue.

"After Kagome-sama took back her soul, it was only the memory of her hate that kept her animated, that along with the souls she stole to sustain herself. I think that perhaps, this may be the case with Midoriko as well. Midoriko was a powerful priestess with a soul pure enough to instantly purify the youkai she fought. Kikyou-sama was a priestess with an immense spiritual energy and an unblemished soul that could sustain the purity of the Shikon no tama. But in death, Kikyou-sama became embittered even though she had used her life in an effort to save the world from the havoc that could have been caused should a demon get a hold of the Shikon no tama. Perhaps Midoriko was like that as well."

"So, you mean to say that you think the kuroi miko is the darker parts of Midoriko's soul that escaped being caught in the Shikon no tama?" Kagome asked.

"Perhaps," Miroku replied, "but I don't think it was that the ire within her `escaped,' it was most likely purged. For Midoriko to form a jewel such as the Shikon no tama and to battle against the negative energy of the youkai, she had to be completely pure and so the negative parts of her had to be separated otherwise the positive energy in the jewel may have been overcome by the negative energy."

The group fell silent once again, Miroku and Sango looked thoughtful, Kagome continued to stare into the fire; her face blank and Inuyasha…

"I don't get it," the hanyou said, sitting down against a tree and pouting.

Kagome smiled and rolled her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eeep! You guys are my only two reviewers last chapter. Well, then I'm even more grateful for your reviews. Thanks a bunch!

Stacerue

ptbear