InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Alliances ❯ Last Moments ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: hanyou_demoness 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Action / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.02.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 337 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Action / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.02.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 337 | Status: Work In Progress
Thanks to Kitsama (Fanfiction.net) again for her continuing support as a beta!!
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§ Last Moments §
A noise awakened her.
Kagome quietly shifted her hands to her face, protecting it from the cold floor beneath. Her captors seemed to have simply dumped her on the floor, with no regard to her comfort. Kagome sighed. At least they hadn’t hurt her… yet.
“…but Master Katsume, we have no way of knowing if Varon and the hanyou are able to track us… we cannot assume…”
Hanyou, she thought. Do they mean Inuyasha? Keeping her eyes closed, Kagome tuned her eyes in the direction the noise had come from. She could just faintly pick out the conversation echoing through the walls.
“Master, if this plan is to work…” the first voice said again.
“Do not question my judgment, Hiko. You have many years yet before you. In time you will gain the wisdom needed for such a position as mine. But until then, you must obey me as you would our lord. Now, go find the girl. We need to see if she will help us, now.”
“Yes, Master Katsume. I will go rouse her.”
Footsteps echoed down the hall, coming toward her room. Kagome listened carefully until they stopped. Those footsteps, she thought, are not those of a young man. They are but a boy’s!
The door to her room slid open. Kagome opened her eyes to face of a child not more than twelve years old. He was dressed simply in peasants’ wear, save for a small red silk sash about his waist.
Seeing that she was already awake, Hiko smiled. “My master requests your presence, Lady Kagome,” he said as he bowed his head. “Please follow me.”
Kagome rose unsteadily to her feet. Her leg was still sore from when the demon had banged it against her window in her capture last night. At least, she thought it was last night. She couldn’t remember anything from after that.
“Here, my lady.” Hiko grabbed her hand and pulled her gently to the door. Surprised, Kagome quickly followed. Why is this kid helping me, she thought, I thought I was supposed to be a prisoner!
Kagome took a quick glance around. The building seemed to a lord’s manor, with equally fine furnishings. A few servants walked by with clothes or cleaning cloths, silently conversing with their friends. Only a few noticed Kagome and Hiko, and those only nodded a small greeting before turning their eyes back to their discussion.
Hiko pulled Kagome into a smaller adjacent hall, and turned into another door. An older man turned from his position at his window. Grey worn eyes gazed into her own, and a smile lighted upon his lips.
“Welcome, Lady Kagome.”
Kagome smiled slightly to the man, but worry played silently in her head. Out of the window where the man had been looking, a disastrous scene was apparent. Thousands of trees were ripped from the ground, visibly strewn from the manor to a low hill beyond. A few recognizable pieces from village homes were littered among the mess. Hundreds of people walked despondently among the wreckage, looking for any trace of their possessions.
The man followed her eyes out to the ruin. His smile faltered. “My lady, I’m sorry for the recent events that have happened to you, but we did not know if you would agree to help us if you had not seen what is at stake.”
“Please, sit, and hear my explanation. I promise you, if you wish to go home after our discussion, I will arrange it.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m confused,” said Kagome. “This is the feudal era, right? Your demon, I mean the one who brought me here, came through the well to get me, and brought me back.”
“Feudal era? All I told the demon was the only way to reach would be through a well near Priestess Kaede’s village. At least, that was what I had heard. I know nothing of a ‘feudal era’.” The man shook his head. “Never mind. It is said you come from a different world then mine. You will know more of such things than I do. My name is Master Katsume. I am in charge of the house until our lord returns from a voyage to the capital.” He shook his head. “I never imagined things could go so terribly wrong.”
“Soon after the lord left, demons began to raid the villages around us. Attacks grew more and more frequently with each passing of the moon, until our castle was siege with little to no food left. Last month, we had word that on this very night, two demons with power unimaginable were going to attack.”
“The scout was wrong.”
Kagome looked to the destruction outside. “They came last night instead, didn’t they?”
Katsume nodded, and a small tear escaped his face. “They killed my wife in the raid. I will never forgive them. I only regret we were not able to get you here sooner, to help stop this madness.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Kagome. “But I don’t know what I can do to help. If those two demons caused all of this destruction, I might not be able to defeat one of them, let alone two.”
“Please, Lady Kagome!” The young boy, Hiko, hugged her arm. “Please, you have to stop them! You can’t let them hurt any more people. You can’t!”
“Hiko! That is enough. Leave the lady be!”
Kagome took the young boy into her arms. “All right, I’ll what I can do. Just as long as I can get back to my friends after this is done.” Maybe trying my skills on my own, without Inuyasha’s help, can help improve my power. Let’s just hope that I have enough as is.
“Master Katsume, one thing doesn’t make sense. Why are these demons attacking your village in the first place?”
Katsume sighed. “Come with me. Now that you’ve agreed to help, there is no harm to showing you.”
The man walked to the end of the room, motioning for Kagome to follow him. “Our village is the protector of an ancient device, my lady. It hasn’t been used in many thousands of years, when a clan of monks gave it to my people to protect it. Its existence has been hidden from all but the closest colleagues of the lord for many generations.”
“But now, the demons know of it?”
“Yes. Somehow the demons heard of it. You collect pieces of the Sacred Jewel do you not?” Kagome nodded her head. “This device is much more powerful than even the jewel itself. If it ever falls into enemy hands, the world will be at death’s door.”
Katsume stopped beside a pedestal. A large sphere stood covered by cloth. He tentatively pulled the cover off, and stood aside for Kagome to see.
“This, Lady Kagome, is the St’aler.”
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“Can’t you go any faster!? The afternoon’s almost finished and we’re not even three-quarters of the way there yet!”
Varon lifted an arm and waved weakly from his position on the ground. The monk was stretched full length out on his stomach, wheezing and coughing. “You go… on ahead, Inuyasha. I’ll catch up… soon.”
“Humans,” muttered Inuyasha, as he flipped Varon on his back. “Hang on tight, you hear? I’m not stopping for you if you fall off!”
“Thanks… for your…concern…Inuyasha.”
“Keh.”
“The canyons… should be just up ahead. That is where Sesshomaru said… we would find the St’aler and Kagome.”
Inuyasha took off again, his eyes tracing the path to the canyons. For some reason, it wasn’t as easy to carry Varon as Inuyasha thought. Monk’s put on a little weight since we last met, he guessed.
I’m coming, Kagome. Please be all right. Just wait for me a little longer.
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“Are you ready, Lady Kagome?” Master Katsume handed her a bow and a quiver of arrows. “My demon told me that you hunt down demons with these, and priestess powers. The bow is one of the best from our armory. I hope it suits your task?”
Kagome pulled back the string, testing its strength. “Well, it’s not my own, but it will do.” She glanced at the samurai behind her. “Backup?”
“We cannot risk another attack on the village. That is why we brought the St’aler to these canyons, as bait to lure the demons away from our people. If something goes wrong, my men will be the last defense to the St’aler.”
Kagome glanced up at the towering walls. How such formations came to be here escaped her, for there was no river for miles. “I still have a bad feeling about this.”
“You will do fine Lady Kagome. Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached back, and took from his belt a small knife. “I too will fight by your side this night, my lady. There is no reason to be frightened. As the protector of my village and the St’aler, I was given this item of magic to help my people.” He twirled the knife. “However, this item and the demon inside it alone is not enough. That is why we need you as well.”
Kagome glanced to the opening of the canyons. The sun was only a few handbreadths above the horizon. Soon, the only light would be from the… Wait! Tonight was the new moon! Inuyasha is a human tonight!
I’m coming home, Inuyasha. Just as soon as I finish these demons off. Please be safe tonight. Wait for me a little longer.
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Review!!
-Hanyou
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§ Last Moments §
A noise awakened her.
Kagome quietly shifted her hands to her face, protecting it from the cold floor beneath. Her captors seemed to have simply dumped her on the floor, with no regard to her comfort. Kagome sighed. At least they hadn’t hurt her… yet.
“…but Master Katsume, we have no way of knowing if Varon and the hanyou are able to track us… we cannot assume…”
Hanyou, she thought. Do they mean Inuyasha? Keeping her eyes closed, Kagome tuned her eyes in the direction the noise had come from. She could just faintly pick out the conversation echoing through the walls.
“Master, if this plan is to work…” the first voice said again.
“Do not question my judgment, Hiko. You have many years yet before you. In time you will gain the wisdom needed for such a position as mine. But until then, you must obey me as you would our lord. Now, go find the girl. We need to see if she will help us, now.”
“Yes, Master Katsume. I will go rouse her.”
Footsteps echoed down the hall, coming toward her room. Kagome listened carefully until they stopped. Those footsteps, she thought, are not those of a young man. They are but a boy’s!
The door to her room slid open. Kagome opened her eyes to face of a child not more than twelve years old. He was dressed simply in peasants’ wear, save for a small red silk sash about his waist.
Seeing that she was already awake, Hiko smiled. “My master requests your presence, Lady Kagome,” he said as he bowed his head. “Please follow me.”
Kagome rose unsteadily to her feet. Her leg was still sore from when the demon had banged it against her window in her capture last night. At least, she thought it was last night. She couldn’t remember anything from after that.
“Here, my lady.” Hiko grabbed her hand and pulled her gently to the door. Surprised, Kagome quickly followed. Why is this kid helping me, she thought, I thought I was supposed to be a prisoner!
Kagome took a quick glance around. The building seemed to a lord’s manor, with equally fine furnishings. A few servants walked by with clothes or cleaning cloths, silently conversing with their friends. Only a few noticed Kagome and Hiko, and those only nodded a small greeting before turning their eyes back to their discussion.
Hiko pulled Kagome into a smaller adjacent hall, and turned into another door. An older man turned from his position at his window. Grey worn eyes gazed into her own, and a smile lighted upon his lips.
“Welcome, Lady Kagome.”
Kagome smiled slightly to the man, but worry played silently in her head. Out of the window where the man had been looking, a disastrous scene was apparent. Thousands of trees were ripped from the ground, visibly strewn from the manor to a low hill beyond. A few recognizable pieces from village homes were littered among the mess. Hundreds of people walked despondently among the wreckage, looking for any trace of their possessions.
The man followed her eyes out to the ruin. His smile faltered. “My lady, I’m sorry for the recent events that have happened to you, but we did not know if you would agree to help us if you had not seen what is at stake.”
“Please, sit, and hear my explanation. I promise you, if you wish to go home after our discussion, I will arrange it.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m confused,” said Kagome. “This is the feudal era, right? Your demon, I mean the one who brought me here, came through the well to get me, and brought me back.”
“Feudal era? All I told the demon was the only way to reach would be through a well near Priestess Kaede’s village. At least, that was what I had heard. I know nothing of a ‘feudal era’.” The man shook his head. “Never mind. It is said you come from a different world then mine. You will know more of such things than I do. My name is Master Katsume. I am in charge of the house until our lord returns from a voyage to the capital.” He shook his head. “I never imagined things could go so terribly wrong.”
“Soon after the lord left, demons began to raid the villages around us. Attacks grew more and more frequently with each passing of the moon, until our castle was siege with little to no food left. Last month, we had word that on this very night, two demons with power unimaginable were going to attack.”
“The scout was wrong.”
Kagome looked to the destruction outside. “They came last night instead, didn’t they?”
Katsume nodded, and a small tear escaped his face. “They killed my wife in the raid. I will never forgive them. I only regret we were not able to get you here sooner, to help stop this madness.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Kagome. “But I don’t know what I can do to help. If those two demons caused all of this destruction, I might not be able to defeat one of them, let alone two.”
“Please, Lady Kagome!” The young boy, Hiko, hugged her arm. “Please, you have to stop them! You can’t let them hurt any more people. You can’t!”
“Hiko! That is enough. Leave the lady be!”
Kagome took the young boy into her arms. “All right, I’ll what I can do. Just as long as I can get back to my friends after this is done.” Maybe trying my skills on my own, without Inuyasha’s help, can help improve my power. Let’s just hope that I have enough as is.
“Master Katsume, one thing doesn’t make sense. Why are these demons attacking your village in the first place?”
Katsume sighed. “Come with me. Now that you’ve agreed to help, there is no harm to showing you.”
The man walked to the end of the room, motioning for Kagome to follow him. “Our village is the protector of an ancient device, my lady. It hasn’t been used in many thousands of years, when a clan of monks gave it to my people to protect it. Its existence has been hidden from all but the closest colleagues of the lord for many generations.”
“But now, the demons know of it?”
“Yes. Somehow the demons heard of it. You collect pieces of the Sacred Jewel do you not?” Kagome nodded her head. “This device is much more powerful than even the jewel itself. If it ever falls into enemy hands, the world will be at death’s door.”
Katsume stopped beside a pedestal. A large sphere stood covered by cloth. He tentatively pulled the cover off, and stood aside for Kagome to see.
“This, Lady Kagome, is the St’aler.”
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“Can’t you go any faster!? The afternoon’s almost finished and we’re not even three-quarters of the way there yet!”
Varon lifted an arm and waved weakly from his position on the ground. The monk was stretched full length out on his stomach, wheezing and coughing. “You go… on ahead, Inuyasha. I’ll catch up… soon.”
“Humans,” muttered Inuyasha, as he flipped Varon on his back. “Hang on tight, you hear? I’m not stopping for you if you fall off!”
“Thanks… for your…concern…Inuyasha.”
“Keh.”
“The canyons… should be just up ahead. That is where Sesshomaru said… we would find the St’aler and Kagome.”
Inuyasha took off again, his eyes tracing the path to the canyons. For some reason, it wasn’t as easy to carry Varon as Inuyasha thought. Monk’s put on a little weight since we last met, he guessed.
I’m coming, Kagome. Please be all right. Just wait for me a little longer.
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“Are you ready, Lady Kagome?” Master Katsume handed her a bow and a quiver of arrows. “My demon told me that you hunt down demons with these, and priestess powers. The bow is one of the best from our armory. I hope it suits your task?”
Kagome pulled back the string, testing its strength. “Well, it’s not my own, but it will do.” She glanced at the samurai behind her. “Backup?”
“We cannot risk another attack on the village. That is why we brought the St’aler to these canyons, as bait to lure the demons away from our people. If something goes wrong, my men will be the last defense to the St’aler.”
Kagome glanced up at the towering walls. How such formations came to be here escaped her, for there was no river for miles. “I still have a bad feeling about this.”
“You will do fine Lady Kagome. Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached back, and took from his belt a small knife. “I too will fight by your side this night, my lady. There is no reason to be frightened. As the protector of my village and the St’aler, I was given this item of magic to help my people.” He twirled the knife. “However, this item and the demon inside it alone is not enough. That is why we need you as well.”
Kagome glanced to the opening of the canyons. The sun was only a few handbreadths above the horizon. Soon, the only light would be from the… Wait! Tonight was the new moon! Inuyasha is a human tonight!
I’m coming home, Inuyasha. Just as soon as I finish these demons off. Please be safe tonight. Wait for me a little longer.
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Review!!
-Hanyou