InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trial by Fire ❯ Glimpses ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/n
This is a fic based off the manga, and this particular chapter is based off manga chapter 507, “Hitomiko.” I began writing this as a request, and especially posted it today because it’s a special persons birthday!!! Happy birthday you know who you are!!!~ By the way, Microsoft word isn't working so I had to copy/paste
this to Wordpad, so sorry if it looks bad/off



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“That way!”

The simple sentence sent both the firecat, and hanyou she rode on careening in the direction she pointed. She was jolted by the sudden shift in direction, losing the grip of one hand, and almost spiraling off. She righted herself quickly, shaking her head of the passing fears. She saw it up ahead.

I can see it . . . that’s . . .

“Naraku’s spider web!” she blurted aloud. Shippou clung to Miroku’s shoulder, seemingly not bothered by the gusts of intense wind shooting past them. The kit barely blinked. “I can’t see it.” he observed, swiveling his gaze towards the monk.

The monk seemed undisturbed. “It seems it’s only visible to Kagome-sama.” Secretly though, as collected as he was on the outside, he was bitterly shaken on the inside. They all knew the power Naraku’s webs possessed. The had the unholy power of absolute control, one such victim was Sangos own brother, Kohaku. The spiderwebs tainted Kikyo near to the point of killing her– it was obvious that the webs had power that was not to be sneezed at.

With that in mind, they couldn’t help but think. What was it going after now? That bastard, what’s he up to this time? Inuyasha spat the words in his mind, his claws already sharpened and ready to tear anything that got in the way. They were all ready for whatever was coming. It was just about then the village came into sight....

***

Inuyasha stopped and sniffed the air. He stared up at the broad stairs in wonder, as they seemed to stretch on forever. He looked up curiously. “Doesn’t this lead out of the village Kagome?”

“Yeah...” she murmured. “To that shrine...”

The sentence seemed to be caught in her throat, as she gazed unsurely up to the shrine steps above. Something seemed off about this whole thing already, but she couldn’t tell what it was for the life of her. It was startling when she heard voices behind her.

“Um, who are you?” came a voice low, and friendly. Miroku turned to see three men standing behind them, dressed in customary farmers clothes. They looked puzzled at the sight of strangers, as if they had never thought it possible for someone to visit their village. “Are you the villagers?” Miroku asked. The authority in his voice was unmistakable.

The men seemed to disregard the question, asking, “You saw a spider web...?”

Miroku dodged the question similarly. “Has anything unusual happened here in the past few days?”

This seemed to daunt the villagers. They shared fearful, knowing looks, and glanced towards the group again, more cautiously still. “Actually...” one began quietly. Another spoke in his place. “The miko who protected this village...”

“Died?” The group answered for them, remorse written solely on Kagome’s face. The others looked on in surprise, but in nothing more than sympathy for the woman. Kagome stiffened as the question hung heavily in the air; it was a few moments later the men were able to speak again.

The men continued their tale, only slightly faster than the group could gather at once. “The miko was called Hitomiko-sama, and though she had great spiritual power, she was very kind. She was loved by all the village.” It seemed as if an air of dread suddenly swept through them, creeping into the mens voices and stirring all around them. The drastic change of mood made Kagome cringe in fright.

“Seven days ago, Hitomiko-sama slew a youkai, but...”

“Something went wrong, I assume.” Miroku interjected quietly, allowing space for the men to continue. They did. They heaved a long sigh, before they answered.

“Yes, that’s right,” the men relinquished. “The threads that the monster had spewed at her must have gotten on. It had attached to her, slowly killing her in the way all evil youki does. Though we were saddened, she said it was fine for her to die; she was on her death bed already. After it happened though, she wanted her head to be cut off, and separated from her body, buried in two different locations.

“Though it was her last request . . . everyone in the village was too afraid, and no one was able to cut off her head. So she was buried as she was.” they admitted, hanging their heads in shame. “H-However . . .Though I’m certain we buried her properly . . .”

The man was cut off by a sudden burst of noise. Out of what seemed to be thin air, a woman’s voice curtly intervened.

“Visitors?”

Everyone turned to see the source of the eerie voice, but Kagome could already tell who it was. Her eyes widened as she turned, the villagers confirming her suspicions before she could even look. “H-Hitomiko-sama!”

Their was startling among the group. Kagome’s heart pounded faster then she could count, her blood quickening in an intrepid pace. “This is the dead miko?” Miroku asked, his face betraying the shock he tried to hide. Sango couldn’t conceive exactly what was happening. Her face shook slightly as though she were trying to shake the very idea from her mind. “She came back to life?!” she gasped, in a mix of outrage and pure disbelief.

The woman seemed to barely note the shouts of confusion and anger around her, only staring ahead with narrow, colorless eyes.

She looked altogether pleasant. Her hair framed her face in an unusual way, coming down into jagged points around her face and shoulders, but seemed to dip low near her forehead. The rest extended further down her back in a shine of black luminescent hair. She had a grace noticeable in her gait that it seemed, only the dead could truly master. Her face was small and kind, her eyes glinting with happiness as she strode forward, her ward in hand. She looked strangely motherly, walking forward oblivious to the strife her appearance had caused. Somehow her gentle look only seemed to scare Kagome further, knowing her intentions to probably be much darker.

“She hasn’t returned to life,” Inuyasha muttered, confused. She smells like a corpse–

Hitomiko’s lips twitched upwards slightly, making a formless, amused smile. It was nothing if not creepy. “That’s why I told you . . . to bury my head and body in different places.”

In a splash of dark light, her body was covered by thickened pieces of whitened thread.

Kagome couldn’t contain her fear. Frantic, she yelled, “Spiderwebs!” Shippou pointed accusingly at Hitomiko. “I saw it!” he cried, “The spiderweb!”

“Inuyasha!” called Kagome, a strange bank of light shivering over tessaigas unsheathed blade. Before another word could be spoken, Inuyasha had leapt forward, cleaving the webs with a powerful overhead swing.

It came down with a thump, shaking the earth and cutting a portion of the web in half. Before he could make another swing, the web seemed to be reform, taking on another shape as if the cut had done nothing to harm it. “You fool!” Hitomiko cursed, glaring with heated eyes at Inuyasha, a dead-set passion sullying her words. “Cutting the spider webs won’t destroy me!”

For a moment she stood wrapped in the webs, before seemingly disappearing into nothingness. The air was quieted by the heavy presence of the dead, which now slowly dissipated into a normal untainted breeze. It was pure once again; not littered with the scent of Naraku or his spiderwebs. Still, the mood remained pressed for a moment, until everyone seemed to accept that she was gone.
“She disappeared...?” the question came out more of a statement. It sounded rightfully confused, as if wanted to be sure that was exactly what had happened.
The villagers weren’t sure what to think. Fascinated, they uttered, “Is that a mononoke taking Hitomikos form?” Kagome could only offer a shake of the head as an answer.

Sango broke the silence, asking the question everyone was wondering. “Does this mean that Naraku is manipulating her dead body?” Kagome was the quickest to answer, her eyes slightly distant from the side. “But that woman . . . It looked like she was speaking of her own will.”

The villagers turned to Inuyasha in-turn, giving a hopeful look. “Can you save her?” The solemn question made him sad, as he knew he could only give an answer they would not be satisfied with. “...all we can do is bring back her corpse.”

“Even so, It’s not like we can just leave this alone.” Miroku remarked with finality, ignoring a sheepish look from Kagome. “Hitomiko-samas final request . . . that she wanted her head and body buried in different places. It means she was afraid of being resurrected in this manner.”

Inuyashas eyes burned with golden resolve. He grunted and looked to the stairs above them. Naraku . . . ! What are you planning by using a dead miko?


***

In a dark abyss, filled with nothing but the strands of endless spiderwebs, Hitomiko held dearly to the only grains of hope she had left. Out of the dark, Narakus face lowered, coming so close as to brush against her face. He snickered. “Ku-ku-ku, a miko is harder to handle then anyone else. . . even in death she resisted me. . . ”

His eyes narrowed. “However. . . Hitomiko it will be soon.” His message reached her without words, spoken purely through the mind, which Hitomiko felt violated against. He pressed harder. “Your heart is being tainted by the spiderweb, and soon you will do as I wish.” he said, glaring against her. Her eyes were closed, reactionless.

Naraku continued on anyways. “Hitomiko, there is one thing you must do.” he slithered, reaching as if to whisper in her ear. “There is a girl called Kagome. . .”

“Kago. . . me,” came an echoed reply.

“Hitomiko, take Kagome’s powers,” he said devilishly, then grinned with a malignant purpose. “. . . and kill her with your spiritual powers.”











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