InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sweetest Sacrifice ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

The Sweetest Sacrifice

 

Chapter Three:

 

The village was as peaceful as ever; the villagers going about their end-of-day routine. Women were rounding up hoards of children for the night, lest another rouge youkai attack the village at it's most vulnerable. A young woman was standing on the hill, the wind teasing her hair out in front of her face. Her red yukata fluttered slightly in the breeze as she watched the town settle itself in for the night.

 

The rain had let up the previous night, leaving a damp chill in the air. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold, not wanting to go inside just yet. The clouds overhead threatened rain once again, but she hoped that it would not fall for at least a few days. It had already devastated the village and, with the majority of the good taijiya on the track of the half-inuyoukai Inuyasha, several smaller demons had attacked during the rain and made a mess of their crops.

 

“Perhaps I should go in?” She questioned herself softly, shaking her head as she shivered. It really was cold. Was it her imagination, or did the temperature just drop again? It was probably just her imagination… but still…

 

“Hello?” She called out looking around. “Is someone there?”

 

“You shouldn't be out so late, Delyina-sama.” A scolding voice came up the hill. Delyina smiled in relief.

 

“Sango-chan, you surprised me.”

 

Sango sighed. She and her brother had returned the instant the rain had let down, with the feverish houshi in tow. He had caught a sickness from being exposed to the elements for so long as, he informed them, he had walked all the way from his home in the Southern Lands to where Sango and her brother had found him - mid Western Lands. He told them that he had almost constantly been rained on every day, and was now paying the price for such a foolish venture.

 

“A youkai will do more than surprise you.”

 

“Oh, come, Sango-chan.” Delyina smiled, her dark eyes lighting up. “Do you honestly think any youkai would be foolish enough to come here in the presence of so many taijiya?” She questioned. It was true enough. Sango's father had given up on their venture and had returned with his squad to the village that morning, empty-handed and grouchy. But, be that as it may, they were all tired, and in no shape to do battle.

 

Sango scowled. Delyina was too naïve to realise the ways of demons. “There are some who think themselves immune to human weapons.” She bit out. “Delyina-sama, your grandfather bids you come home for the night. It is getting late and he does not wish for the half demon to come for you again.”

 

“I don't see what all the fuss is about.” Delyina scoffed, shaking her head. “He explained to me very clearly what he wanted. He will not harm me.”

 

“You would place yourself in the care of a half demon?” Sango frowned. “To do so is almost certain death. Did you pay no attention during your parent's teachings? You are safe only among humans. You know this. Why do you gamble with your life so?”

 

“Humans are so terribly closed-minded.” Delyina waved it off. “Not all demons are evil.”

 

“Lower-level, tamed demons are not evil, no.” Sango conceded. “But those capable of higher-lever thinking and speech are to be feared.”

 

“Only by those who are foolish enough to anger them.”

 

“Your trust of demon-kind will be the end of you, Delyina-sama.” Sango sighed. “Your grandfather bids you come.”

 

“Of course.” Delyina smiled, following Sango into the main village.

 

OoOoOoOoOoO

 

“Are you sure, Kagome-chan?”

 

“Yes, Shippou-chan. It's fine.” Kagome insisted, washing the gashes on her cheek with a grimace. It stung like hell, but at least that was a sign that it was mending. At least the hanyou's claws weren't poisonous. She'd have been dead already if they were.

 

“But he hurt you, Kagome-chan!”

 

“A lot of things have hurt me, Shippou-chan.” Kagome kneeled to the kit's eye-level. “Shippou-chan, it was an accident and I overreacted. I'm going to go find him; he can't have gone too far with a broken ankle in the rain.” She looked out the window as she said this. The skies were still dark, but it was no longer raining. A strange expression crossed her face as she watched the trees sway in the breeze. “He's there.”

 

“Kagome-chan?”

 

“I can sense his youki.” Kagome stood up, shouldering the bow and quiver her father had bought for her all those years ago. “He's still close.”

 

“How do you know, Kagome-chan?”

 

“I…” Kagome paused, still looking out into the trees, “…I don't know, Shippou-chan. I just do. Wait here.”

 

Kagome didn't wait for a reply as, gripping her bow firmly, she set out into the muddy clearing around her house. She closed the door behind her, shutting the kitsune in.

 

It was still windy, and it was getting dark out. She'd put off the search all day, trying to summon her courage. She was afraid of so many things. She was afraid that she was wrong, and that he'd intended to hurt her. She was afraid that something else would hurt her. She was afraid that the sky would open up again, and it would bucket down on her head. She was afraid that she wouldn't find him.

 

Geez, she rolled her eyes to herself, get a grip!

 

“Hanyou-san?” She called out into the trees, following the path that Shippou had informed her the hanyou had gone on the previous night. “Hanyou-san, are you there?!”

 

She felt the strange pulse and the pull of his youki on her own aura. She couldn't see the moon for the last few nights, but she was good at keeping track of the lunar cycle. Even if she could see through the clouds, she would see no moon on the rise. It was the night of the new moon that night, meaning the beginning of the new lunar month. She grinned. She had always loved the night of the new moon. It signified a new beginning.

 

Giving up before it got too dark to find her way back, she sighed and turned in the direction of home.

 

Around the time that the sun had fully set, she heard a yell come from deeper within the trees. Throwing caution to the winds, she chased after the agonised yell, deeper into the forest.

 

OoOoOoOoOoO

 

“Naraku-sama.”

 

A demoness knelt before Naraku, her master. Beside her was a small girl, seemingly a human child, but too blank to be one. The male youkai that stood before them was tall, with pale skin and dark hair. His red eyes flashed dangerously as he regarded his two female minions.

 

“Did you locate any of them?”

 

“Just one, Naraku-sama.” The void youkai spoke up in her soft voice. Naraku turned to the white youkai who was holding the mirror.

 

“Excellent, Kanna. Show me.”

 

The other demoness, who looked to be the older one, was in fact younger than the void youkai. She rolled her eyes as she watched her `sister' hold up her mirror for their master to inspect. She watched as he studied the image in the mirror very clearly, before making a gesture as if to dismiss the smaller girl. The two of them rose to leave at the gesture, though Naraku's words stopped the younger.

 

“Kagura, you stay.”

 

“Of course, Naraku-sama.” Kagura stopped and came back, while her sister walked out the door and into the hall. Naraku waited until all of his minions had been relocated before speaking.

 

“Have you found the hanyou yet?”

 

“No, Naraku-sama.” Kagura sighed, her short dark hair billowing in the breeze that was floating outside.

 

“And why not?” His eyes flashed again.

 

“His trail disappeared shortly after reaching the taijiya village.”

 

“Was he slain?” Naraku demanded.

 

“I know not, Naraku-sama.” Kagura shook her head, eyes downcast. “I have been following up on various leads, but all of them have come to dead ends.”

 

“This is unacceptable, Kagura!” Naraku raged, plunging his hand into a jar on the shelf. Kagura gave a lurch and a cry of pain as he extracted a living, beating heart - her heart - and squeezed it, hard.

 

“Remember, Kagura, that I hold your heart in my hands.” Naraku sneered. “Failure will not be tolerated.” He gave it a final squeeze, sending Kagura into convulsions as the pain threatened to overcome her. She was almost writhing on the ground by the time he was done.

 

“I understand, Naraku-sama.” Kagura panted, as the pressure on her heart was finally released. “I shall locate the hanyou, and destroy him.”

 

“See that you do.” Naraku turned on his heel, retreating to his private chambers. Kagura stared after her master with a disgusted expression. She despised him with every fibre of her being, yet she was forced to do his bidding. For, if she did not, she would end up either reabsorbed into his body, or dead.

 

Reaching up behind her, she plucked a feather from her hair ornament. Casting it into the air, it grew in size, becoming large enough to support at least two or three people. It hovered in the air as she jumped aboard. Once she was comfortably seated, the feather rocketed off into the heavens.

 

She had one more lead to follow up on, and she prayed to whatever Kami were listening that it would not fall through.

 

OoOoOoOoOoO

 

Inuyasha felt like shit.

 

He'd almost forgotten that it was the night of the new moon that night. Not that he actually needed to see the sky through the clouds to realise it was that particular night.

 

He'd actually slept the night before, in order to drive away the burning pain in his ankle as it mended. It still needed another five or six days to heal, though. As soon as he'd woken up that morning, freezing cold and shivering from the rain that had ceased the night previously, he knew something was off. First off, he was cold. He didn't normally feel the elements, unless they were extremes. His sense of smell, not that it was ever great after such a bad storm, was like it had been removed from his body. His eyesight wasn't as sharp and his hearing was like someone had stuffed lumps of cotton down his ears. He'd cursed under his breath for some time before sucking it up and moving to a little further away from the tiny cottage in the woods.

 

Settling himself in for the next few days, he'd returned to cursing his broken limb. It hurt like a fucking son-of-a-bitch! On more than one occasion, while his muscles were contracting to realign the bone, he'd barely suppressed a scream of pain by biting his lips and digging his claws into his palms. He sighed to himself - which he rarely did. He was in for a long, painful night.

 

“Hanyou-san? Hanyou-san, are you there?!”

 

His ears perked up. Was that-?

 

His thoughts were cut off as the sun finally finished slipping from behind the horizon from behind the clouds. His hair darkened. His claws became flimsy human nails. His fangs shrank. His ears slid down the side of his head, becoming human ears. His golden eyes dulled and darkened to a dark brown. The wave of pain that seemed to stretch from his toes to his knee made his cry out. This caused him to lose his balance and, as such, topple out of the tree that he was currently residing in. Thankfully he'd had the foresight to made sure he wasn't too high off the ground.

 

He hit the ground with another yell. He lay there, panting through his teeth for a few moments, before he heard something coming at him. He tried to push himself to a sitting position, biting his lip and hissing in pain. He'd like to at least get a look at the youkai that was going to eat him before it got the chance to kill him. He wanted to see who he would meet his downfall against.

 

He'd almost laughed when the little human girl had appeared through the trees. She looked at him in shock, her eyes sweeping over him, taking in his appearance. “H-Hanyou-san?” She whispered in a strange voice. He'd almost winced.

 

“Yeah, wench. It's me.” He hissed, trying to shit himself again.

 

“B-but I thought…” she spluttered, “…your h-hair! Your ea-ears! Y-your eyes!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” He sighed. “I get it. I look different. Now will you leave and let me get found and eaten in peace?!” He snapped.

 

Her eyes hardened. “I don't think so.” She stomped right up to him and grasped him under the shoulder. “Brace yourself.” She grunted as she helped pull him to his feet. He howled in pain, causing Kagome to wince. Once they were steady, they started to hobble their way back to Kagome's cottage, Inuyasha hissing and cursing at random intervals.

 

The runt had come running out when his adoptive mother had come into view, supporting the dark-haired young human man. With a quick sniff, Shippou had quickly identified the situation, his father having taught him all about youkai and hanyou when he was just a cub. Inuyasha was leant against a transformed Shippou as Kagome helped them both inside. He was carefully deposited on the bed and helped to lie back, hissing and cursing the whole time.

 

It was almost no time at all before Kagome had him back in nothing but his fundoshi, giving his robes to Shippou to put in the boiler. Any other time, Inuyasha would have been mortified to be seen in nothing but his undergarments, but Kagome was making a good point of not noticing. Besides, he was quickly dried off and wrapped in blankets to get warm while a cold compress was put to his head to drive off the fever that had been steadily climbing since the moment he'd turned human. Once satisfied that he was comfortable, she began to re-bandage his ankle, taking special care not to harm it even more.

 

“You never told me your name.” She said when she was done, leaning back on her ankles. “It seems strange that you know both of ours, and yet we do not know yours.”

 

He wasn't sure if it was the fever talking or not. But he found himself answering, “My name is Inuyasha.” Kagome's eyes lit up at his answer.

 

“Well, Inuyasha,” she stood, looking back at him before disappearing out of the glow of the fire near the front door, “sleep well.” She bolted the door and drew the curtains, plopping into the chair in front of the fire, and almost instantly falling asleep, the kitsune curling up on her lap a moment later.

 

OoOoOoOoOoO

 

Miroku was feeling much better that night.

 

In fact, he was feeling so much better that he opted to join the family that was hosting him for dinner at the main table. He listened with interest to the tales of the older man, the headman and retired taijiya, recount the stories of his youth. The young man of the household, Kohaku, had a few tales of his own. However, it was the young beauty that was currently seated across from him that captured his attention.

 

She listened with keen interest at the men's tales, laughing delightfully at all the right intervals. She couldn't help but notice the sparkle in her eyes as she regarded her family. And the two-tail neko in her lap purred contentedly as she absently stroked her with one hand, and using the other for her chopsticks. Yes. She truly was a beauty.

 

“If you would excuse me,” Miroku stood and bowed respectfully, “it is time for my evening meditations. May I be permitted to use the gardens as my mediation grounds?”

 

“Of course, Houshi-sama.” Sango's father nodded. “Sango, show him the way to the private area of the gardens, would you?”

 

“Of course, Chichi-ue.” Sango, too, stood and bowed, leading Miroku out of the house and into the night. Her brother had lit some torches in the gardens, lighting the path the she was leading him down. He watched her hips sway as she walked, to a rhythm that only she could hear, as she hummed to herself happily. She seemed to have forgotten all about the incident in cave. “Here you are, Houshi-sama.” She unlocked the gate to the smaller part of the gardens.

 

“My thanks.” He bowed to her, before standing straight and admiring the gardens. “It is a beautiful garden. Did you plant it?” He asked, seeing no sign of her mother around.

 

“No, but I keep it in order. It was my mother who-” Her face turned red and she stopped speaking.

 

Miroku's hand was in heaven again, palming her soft behind. He had to admit that, in his personal opinion, she had the best ass in the country, and he'd travelled enough to know. Round and shapely, it seemed perfect for a hand his size to hold gently as they made sweet, sweet love in the torchlight.

 

His fantasies were cut short by the feel of a hand slapping his face. He rubbed the stinging pain thoughtfully, frowning. “My dear Sango-san,” he rumbled, “why do you attack me so viciously when I have already explained that my hand is outside of my control? It is just as cursed in the deeds of lechery as it is with the kazaana.” He pretended to reason.

 

“Oh, that is all lies, pervert!” Sango hissed, storming off. Miroku's eyes followed her behind appreciatively. Any and all Kami that had played a hand in creating that behind must have been mighty proud of themselves at that particular moment. Miroku smirked a very un-monk-ly smirk as he turned to begin his meditations.

 

Best ass in the country.

 

OoOoOoOoOoO

 

Kagura stood in the shadows, watching the youkai as he slew one human bandit after another. While she was not averse to killing when the situation warranted, this was certainly over the top.

 

She knew he knew she was there; she just didn't feel like exposing herself to the humans. They had no knowledge of her, nor any knowledge of the existence of her master, and she had been instructed to keep it that way. So she lied in wait until every last one of the humans had fallen before the taiyoukai's youki whip before stepping forth.

 

“Impressive, Sesshoumaru-sama.” She fluttered her fan open, covering the bottom half of her face to hide her smirk.

 

Sesshoumaru didn't even afford her a glance. “What is it that you want with me, woman?” He asked in a deadpanned voice, lacking any conviction or emotion. His kappa servant was making undignified noises at her feet, waving around an ugly staff with two ugly looking carved heads at the top of it.

 

She stared down at the little green thing, before kicking it away from her. “My Lord, I wish to discuss your… half-brother.” She chose her words carefully, well aware of Sesshoumaru's reputation when it concerned the hanyou.

 

“I have no half-brother.” Sesshoumaru's already cold voice dropped in temperature.

 

“I wish only to know if he still lives.”

 

Sesshoumaru did afford her a glance this time. “Any why would you wish to know that?”

 

“To slay him, of course.” Kagura's sultry voice held an air of disdain toward the taiyoukai.

 

“I see…”

 

“If you do not know, you need only to say so.” Kagura continued in the same sickening voice.

 

“He lives.” Sesshoumaru turned his back on the demoness. “Now begone.”

 

Kagura bowed low. “I thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

 

When Jaken got up from his position on the ground, the mysterious woman was gone. “S-Sesshoumaru-sama, who was that woman?”

 

“I know not.” Sesshoumaru began walking again. “Nor do I particularly care. Let us go, Jaken.”

 

“Y-Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!” Jaken all but chirped as he hurried along after his master.