InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Transcending Worlds ❯ The Wind God ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

 

The God of Wind

 

 

"Grandpa, where are you?" yelled out Kagome.

 

'What does she mean by, Grandpa?' Inuyasha thought. "What would her grandfather be doing here?'

 

"KAGOME! I'M BY THE SHRINE PEDESTAL!" said the voice.

 

Kagome whipped around and ran to the center of the room, Inuyasha and Sango following her closely. Kagome knelt down by a small wooden pedestal on the floor and gasped. She knelt down, tears filling her eyes.

 

"Grandpa, no," she whispered.

 

Inuyasha and Sango knelt down beside her and also stared in wonderment at the little prisoner. In the middle of the pedestal, on a small dish, there was a little bubble with a tiny man inside.

 

'And judging by her expression,' thought Inuyasha, 'that man is her grandfather.'

 

"Grandpa, what happened to you? Why are you here, on Earth, instead of back on Makushmia with Mom and the twins and Souta? Why are you in a little bubble and the size of my hand?" asked Kagome tearfully. "Who did this to you?"

 

The old man shrugged. "I have no idea," he said. "I just woke up and I was here. I don't remember anything else happening between when I went to sleep and when I woke up here."

 

"Well that's a big help," said Inuyasha sarcastically.

 

Sango turned to glare at him.

 

"What?" he asked.

 

"Why are you always so insensitive?" she asked. "If you continue acting like this, you're going to be in the middle of another fight with Kagome!"

 

Fortunately Kagome didn't appear to have heard either of them. She was gazing around in confusion.

 

"You guys," she said quietly, and they both stopped bickering, "doesn't it seem a little strange to you?"

 

"What does?" Inuyasha asked.

 

"This whole thing," she replied. "We're in the shrine of the Wind God, yet he's nowhere to be seen, and my grandfather is trapped in a little bubble yet except for the size change, he's completely unharmed." She looked at the wall at the far side of the room. "It just doesn't feel right to me."

 

"Keen observation, Elemental Goddess."

 

They all jumped, and Inuyasha tensed up.

 

"Sango, that voice…"

 

"Yes," she said. "It's him."

 

"Um…who?" asked Kagome.

 

"Our sworn enemy, Naraku," Inuyasha answered. "Stay close to us, Kagome. If he's here and knows your name, then he is almost definitely after you."

 

She nodded, and picked up the bubble and her grandfather. She ran to her friends, who took up defensive stances on either side of her automatically.

 

"Naraku," yelled Inuyasha. "Show yourself. Where are you and what do you want with Kagome?"

 

"I merely wish to observe her while she attempts to save the worlds," said the cold voice. "Although, of course, I will make sure she fails miserably."

 

Kagome flinched slightly at the mention of failure, and Inuyasha stepped a little closer to her in an attempt to comfort her without Naraku noticing.

 

"Don't worry, Kagome" he whispered to her. "You won't fail, I promise you. We'll all help you and make sure you succeed. Okay?"

 

She nodded, still looking a little scared. She looked so lost and afraid at the thought of failing the worlds, that Inuyasha tossed aside all cares and pulled her close to him, trying to comfort her. He knew he was taking a big risk, letting Naraku see him get so friendly with the girl, but he couldn't help it. She needed the comfort badly. She reeked of uncomfort from Naraku's presence. He drew the Tessaiga, allowing it to transform. Kagome stepped away from him to stare in awe at the huge sword.

 

"Ah, Inuyasha," said Naraku's voice. "You plan to use the Tessaiga against me? I'm afraid that will be futile, for it will not be me you will be fighting. You won't even be the one fighting. This is your friend Kagome's task. She will have to fight the demon I have sealing up the Wind God. Alone."

 

A small wind began to blow in the room, and suddenly the figure of a huge demon began to appear. Inuyasha yelled out, "That's not fair, she can have help!"

 

"No, Inuyasha," said Kagome, laying a restraining hand on his arm. "He-he's right. If I want to complete this task, I have to do the fighting on my own. Besides, I don't want you all getting hurt. Please listen to me and stay back."

 

Inuyasha shook his head, and so did Sango. "We can't leave you to fight this guy on your own!" yelled Sango.

 

"You're going to anyway," said Naraku. A small flash, and suddenly Inuyasha and Sango looked shocked.

 

"What's wrong? I can't move my body!" said Inuyasha.

 

"Neither can I!" yelled Sango, struggling.

 

"It's a binding spell," said Naraku. "Now you two can watch as your new friend falls to her death and failure."

 

Inuyasha would've given anything not to have Naraku utter those words, for he knew how strongly they would affect Kagome.

 

"Kagome, don't listen to him!" he yelled. "You can do this! I know you can!"

 

"Even if we can't help you, Kagome, we're still behind you all the way!" added Sango. "Now, beat the shit out of this demon for all of us!"

 

Kagome nodded as the demon finally took full form. She turned around to face the huge ogre demon, a determined look on her face. The demon roared and lunged for her, and Kagome took to the air to evade it, waving her hands around so that she created a windy current to maneuver the demon away from her friends' bodies.

 

"The elements are on my side, demon!" she yelled. "I won't lose to you. I guarantee it!"

 

It lunged for her again, and this time it hit her wing, making the feathers crumple a little. Though she could still fly, it was with a definite wilt. She made a rising motion with her arms, and flames shot up at its feet, burning its soles.

 

While the demon was busy trying to put out the flames, Kagome swept over to her friends through the air, lifting them both with surprising strength that made Inuyasha blink. She set them down just inside the doorway leading to the room.

 

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked.

 

"Getting you guys out of the danger zone, what do you think?" she answered quickly. She glanced over her shoulder. "Not like you guys have any choice, but I want you to stay here, okay?" She turned around and flew back into the battle. Inuyasha was glad she at least put them where they could see everything.

 

Kagome flew in circles around the demon, making it spin around. Sango felt rather confused.

 

"What is she doing?" she asked.

 

"Making it dizzy," Inuyasha supplied as the demon fell onto the ground. "Getting herself a chance to strike."

 

And he was right, for Kagome summoned water from out of nowhere and wrapping it around the demon's face. She held it there, looking fierce.

 

'She's trying to prove herself to Naraku,' Inuyasha thought. 'To prove she really can do this. I know she can. I just hope she knows it herself.'

 

The demon thrashed around in its place, but Sango noticed something.

 

"Inuyasha, she's losing her strength!" she said.

 

He glanced up at Kagome and saw that Sango was right. Kagome was weakening from the wound from her wing and the energy she needed to control the elements she was using. For the first time, Inuyasha felt a flicker of fear course through him.

 

'Kagome, hang in there!' he thought.

 

Kagome started to pant, feeling the affects of her exhaustion. The power over the water on the demon's face weakened, and he was able to break free of it. She fell out of the air, landing on her back. 'There's something weird about that demon," she thought tiredly. "No creature could hold their breath for that long, no matter how large they are. It should've drowned.'

 

The demon lunged for her again, and she weakly summoned a shield of earth to rise up from the ground. It kept slamming into the earth, but luckily the shield was holding, giving Kagome time to try and think of a plan. She gazed around, her eyes glazing over.

 

'Get ahold of yourself, Kags,' she thought to herself. 'If you lose, you and your friends will all be in danger. You can't faint on them now. Stay awake!'

 

At the thought of her friends in danger, she felt herself gaining some strength back, and her mind cleared. She shook her head and looked around. The demon couldn't really feel the effects of her attacks, so that meant that it couldn't really be there. Which meant there had to be something giving off the appearance. Her eyes fell on the only other thing in the room. The pedestal!

 

Gathering her strength, she flew out from behind the wall of earth, causing it to crumble. In the hall, Inuyasha grew confused.

 

"What the hell is she doing? Why isn't she fighting the demon?" he said.

 

"No clue," answered Sango. "Kagome! The demon is the enemy! Fight it, fight it!"

 

"No it's not!" she yelled back. She flew up into the air and raised her arms again, setting the pedestal on fire.

 

Inuyasha stared at her. "She thinks the pedestal is the enemy? I hate to say it, but I think she's lost her mind."

 

"No!" shouted Sango suddenly. "Look! By the pedestal, there's a tiny version of the demon! The bigger one was an illusion!"

 

Inuyasha turned his eyes upon the shadow by the pedestal and saw Sango was right. A little demon was burning along with the pedestal, and with it, the larger demon was disintegrating. Kagome let out a yell of triumph and victory as the three objects went up in ashes. Inuyasha felt the binding spell loosen on him, and glancing at Sango, saw the same held true for her.

 

Kagome hung in the air, her face dirty, her hair messy, yet looking unbelievably victorious. She raised her face up to the ceiling and closed her eyes as Inuyasha and Sango walked into the room.

 

"I beat it," she said quietly. "I really beat it." Then her wings stilled and fell limp, and she began to fall from the air. Inuyasha jumped and caught her a few feet from the ground and landed with her safely in his arms. She had fallen unconscious, but was at least still alive and safe.

 

Sango watched Kagome, looking relieved, but then she stiffened and turned around. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned to see Naraku approach them from the fading smoke. He looked surprised.

 

"How did that girl beat my demon?" he asked, trying to approach Inuyasha and Kagome, but Inuyasha pulled Kagome back from him.

 

"You lose this time, Naraku," Inuyasha said angrily. "I would kill you here and now, but Kagome needs us right now. We'll let you go this time, but next time, you won't have the same luck. Leave her alone. She doesn't deserve any shit from you. Get the hell out of here, now."

 

"You may think you beat me this time, hanyou," said Naraku. "But I will be back. And next time…I will kill that woman."

 

He turned and walked away, fading into the shadows and soon vanishing completely. Kagome stirred in Inuyasha's arms and looked up at him.

 

"Inuyasha?" she asked weakly.

 

"Don't worry, Kagome. Everything's okay. We're all safe now, thanks to you," he said.

 

She shook her head. "Inuyasha…did Naraku just call you a hanyou…a half demon?" she asked.

 

Inuyasha's ears perked up, and he looked surprised. "You…understood that?" he asked.

 

She nodded. "This land speaks the same language of my native home. I understood exactly what he said." She tightened herself into a little ball, squirming a little closer to his body. "I thought you were full demon. I didn't know you were half. Why didn't you tell me?"

 

"Because if I had, you probably would've thought I was a freak, like you're probably thinking now." He growled a little as the last words slipped out. Then he stilled when she wrapped her arms around his waist.

 

"I don't think you're a freak, Inuyasha, and I never would have. Is that another thing you didn't trust me with?"

 

Inuyasha stared straight ahead unmovingly. "Kagome, I…couldn't be sure. I just met you. I couldn't trust you with everything right away." Unconsciously he began to stroke her hair lightly. "I didn't want to scare you off, like I have so many others."

 

She pulled away from him, and he dropped his hand. "I won't run away from you, Inuyasha. I don't care about bloodlines. Don't worry." She smiled softly at him, and he felt the relief so strongly, he swayed a little bit. She accepted him. Thank God.

 

Sango smiled at the two of them. Somehow she thought the two of them would get along okay for the rest of the journey. Then she glanced around, and saw that Kagome's grandfather had regained his normal size. Kagome noticed this at the same time and ran into his arms, hugging him tightly.

 

"Grandpa, you're safe!" she said, tears spilling from her eyes. "Thank the gods."

 

"I'm fine, Kagome," said Mr. Higurashi. "But I think it's time you freed the Wind God."

 

She pulled away from him and nodded. "You're right Grandpa. Where is he?"

 

"I am here," said a voice. Kagome turned and looked at the wall to the right of her. There was a scroll painting hanging there that most certainly had not been there before. Kagome approached it slowly. Painted upon it was the image of the Wind God.

 

"Miss Higurashi," it said again, "lease burn this scroll for me, so it may free me."

 

She nodded, and once again summoned fire from nowhere. She burned the scroll, and soon the Wind God stepped from out of the air in front of the four people. He smiled at all of them.

 

"Thank you all for freeing me," he said.

 

"Don't thank us," said Sango.

 

"Yeah, thank Kagome," said Inuyasha. "She was the one who did everything."

 

"But the thought of you is what kept her fighting until the end, so the credit is due to all of you," answered the God.

 

"Kagome, is he telling the truth?" asked Inuyasha.

 

"Was it really us who kept you going?" added Sango.

 

"Well, yes," said Kagome blushingly. "I knew that if I didn't kill the thing, you guys, Grandpa, and everyone else would be in danger. I didn't really want that to happen, so…"

 

The others nodded in understanding, and stepped back to allow Kagome to approach the Wind God. As she passed them, they hung their heads slightly in respect. They couldn't help it; they felt she deserved it. As she approached the God, she knelt down onto her knees and sat down on her legs, bowing her head respectfully to him. She drew in her wings, as well.

 

"Kagome, thank you for freeing me," said the God. "You are now to go and find the Earth shrine, and free the Earth Goddess there. Then she will tell you what to do next."

 

She nodded solemnly, and he laughed.

 

"Come, Kagome, you are our sister goddess, there is no need for the formalities. You may be younger than us, but you are a goddess, on the same level as us, so don't act so silent and solemn towards us. Come, act more sisterly toward me."

 

She stood and grinned at him. "Yes, my brother," she said. "In that case, you owe me something now, for me freeing you."

 

He laughed again. "You are right enough there," he said. "Okay, I'll think of something, and next time we meet, I'll give you a gift. Might as well do it at the same time Earth does, right?"

 

"Next time we meet, I hope it will be with all of our siblings?" she asked.

 

"Yes, Earth and I will summon Fire and Water over here so we may all discuss the next task. But until then, I will say good-bye, and thanks again for saving me from that evil man."

 

"Anytime, brother," she said, smiling. She stood and bowed to him again, then turned and began to walk out of the room, her friends and grandfather following her.

 

"I hope she can deal with everything she'll be facing soon," Wind whispered to himself. "It would be awful if she lost to her last obstacle…when she'll have to fight her family and friends. I hope she'll pass that test, so she may save the worlds."

 

He stared at the doorway as his sister vanished into the hallway's darkness.

 

"Guddorakku, Kagome," he said quietly, and vanished in a small puff of wind.

 

 

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Japanese translation:

Guddorakku: good luck, good fortune, ect.