InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unfettered ❯ Persuasion ( Chapter 20 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: So I know this took forever and I'm sorry about that, but here is the complete chapter. Thanks to all those who have reviewed and to my awesome beta Doggieearlover. I can't say for certain when the new chapter will be out, only that I have started it.

Dislaimer: I don't own InuYasha and will make no money from this work of fiction

He’d been scared before, lots of times. In the past he had always been afraid of doing something bad and that his mama would get hurt for it. He had been scared when he and mama had come home from the store to find him there and when he had been hurt and gone to the place where he met his ojii-san. He remembered being afraid for his mama and afraid of being all alone. It had been dark there too, but not like this.

No matter which way he looked or how hard he tried, he couldn’t see anything. There were no sounds or smells to tell him where he was, or what had happened. There was nothing, nothing but endless black.

And mama, she was hurt. How could he hope to find her and protect her if he couldn’t even tell where he was? What was he supposed to do?

As hard as he tried to be brave, and in spite off all of the times he remembered his mother telling him not to panic if he were ever to get lost, he couldn't hold back his tears. His heart thundered in his chest and took great gasping breaths as he struggled to breathe. The darkness was suffocating him, and he began to feel light headed.

From deep within the shadow came a soft glow. He focused on it and began to calm, though he was still crying. At least he was no longer in danger of passing out.

What's the matter, little one? There is no need to fear. You are safe here.

"Who's there? Who said that? Where am I? Where's my Mama?"

I am your friend. I saved you, rescued you from the terrible life your parents would have you bound to.

"I-I-I don't understand."

Do you not? They would have you live as a mortal or half demon. They would keep you from your true destiny, stifling the greatness you possess, chaining you to a common existence, when you could be so much more. There is so much power in you, little half demon, and they would keep you from using it.

“M-M-Mama and Papa love me. They only want what’s best for me.”

Are you so certain? Certain of their love? Certain that they are not simply jealous of all you could become?

“O-Of course, I am. T-They do love me. T-They do!”

You do not sound as if you are confident in that claim. Perhaps I can help you see the truth for yourself. Tell me child, if your father loves you as you claim, then why did he not come sooner? Why was he not there to protect you and your mother?

“H-He didn’t know about me. Mama said she never told him - that’s why he didn’t come. He didn’t know we needed him.”

Or so your mother would have you believe.

“Mama wouldn’t lie to me!”

Parents lie to their children all of the time to protect them. If your mother thought she was protecting you, do you think then she would lie?

Taro’s throat closed up, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. Hadn’t his mother shown him many times that she would do anything, endure anything, to protect him? Could she have lied to him for that reason? Had his father known about him and simply not cared enough to come? Just the thought of it made his heart and his head ache.

“I don’t want to talk anymore.”

I understand, little one. Some truths are hard to accept. I will leave you now so that you can think in peace.

“Wait! Can you, can you leave the light?”

Of course. Anything you desire that is in my power to give shall be yours. You need only ask.

When Taro awoke it was warm and a soft light still glowed nearby. He felt better than he had before, even though he was still confused about what he had been told by that mysterious voice. He had thought long and hard, and in the end had decided that he had to believe what his mother had told him. He had to believe that she loved him and that she wouldn’t have lied to him about something so important.

Ah, I see you have awakened. Have you had enough time to think about what we spoke of previously?

“I know my Mama loves me and Papa, too. I don’t think Mama lied to me.”

I was afraid you would say that. You are so young and these are such difficult things to hear about those who are supposed to love and care for us. Would that I could spare you this painful truth, but I cannot. I did not want it to come to this.

“Come to what? What are you talking about?”

I have looked into your mother’s heart and seen the darkness there.

Taro waited and soon he heard a soft, familiar voice speaking all around him. It was his mother. His eyes darted all around and he strained his senses hoping to catch her scent, but soon he realized that she wasn’t really there, and he strained to hear her words.

“I can’t be pregnant, I can’t. It was just one time. What am I going to? Jii-chan is going to kill me, and Mama will be so disappointed. Maybe, maybe I can get rid of it without anyone finding out...”

Taro felt his eyes begin to sting as his mother repeated the same words over and over again. She hadn’t wanted him after all. If she had lied about being happy to have him, then who’s to say that she hadn’t lied about his father or even about loving him.


Darkness smiled at the boy’s pain. No doubt hearing the rest of his mother’s thoughts upon realizing that she had conceived would ease his mind, but where would the fun in that be? Let the boy think he was nothing more than a mistake.

I am sorry you had to hear that, little one. It pains me greatly to be forced to injure you so.

Taro shook his head. “I don’t believe you. Mama, loves me. She loves me...”

You are wise not to believe easily, as there are those who would deceive you for your power, but I am not one of those, and in the end you will see that I am only here to help you.

“Why are you doing this to me? I wanna go home. I want my Mama!”

You still believe you have a home, or that your mother wants you?

“What? Why would you say that?”

You disobeyed your mother, did you not? You ran out of the house. Why would she desire the return of such a disobedient child? And then there is your father. Did you not promise him that you would protect your mother? She was gravely injured because of your failure, perhaps she has even perished. Would he welcome you now?

“I-I tried to protect Mama. I-I-I only wanted to help her.”

I understand, but your parents will not. After all, how many times has your mother suffered because of your actions? How many beatings did she endure because you failed to be the perfect child? Maybe she even wanted to die so that she would no longer have to live with the shame of being the mother to such a son.

“No, no... Mama, she loves me. I’m a good boy, a good boy. Leave me alone. Leave me alone!”

As you wish, child. I am sorry for causing you such pain. Rest now. I will leave the light.

Taro awoke again to the silence and surrounding dark. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that he would wake up to find that this was all just a nightmare. He would open his eyes and be in his room and then he would call for his parents to come and comfort him. But deep down he knew he was only fooling himself. So instead, he clung to the hope that his mother and father would arrive soon and rescue him.

They will not come.

Taro’s heart skipped a beat. “How? Why would you say that?”

Because I can see what is inside your heart, and I wish to help you. I know it is difficult to let go of false notions that we have so long allowed ourselves to believe, but I have faith in you, that you have the courage and strength to see the truth.

“But I don’t want it to be true.”

But that is precisely why you must be brave. You must let yourself see past what you wish things to be, and accept what is.

Taro was so confused. His heart was pulling him in one direction and his head in another. What the voice said made sense, but he still loved his parents very much and didn’t want to believe such terrible things about them. He wasn’t supposed to have to deal with things like this. He was only a little boy, a scared little boy who wanted nothing more to be held by his mother and father and told that everything was going to be all right. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t.

“It’s not fair,” he cried out.

Things seldom are, little one, which is why you must heed my words. I can help you. I can free you from your pain and help you realize your true potential. Together we can break free from the bonds of such injustice and make our lives better.

“I-I-I don’t know what to do.”

Which is why I am here to guide you. You have but to trust me and I will show you the way. Great power lives inside you, little one, power enough that you never need fear anything ever again. Simply say the word, ask for my help and all your worries will be no more.

Taro closed his eyes and tears slid down his cheeks. The words being spoken to him sounded too good to be true, and he knew when something sounded like that, then it probably was, but he found himself wondering, what if it wasn’t. It was too much. Everyone was asking too much of him.

“I don’t want to talk anymore,” he said quietly.

As you wish, but remember you have but to call for me, and I will return at once.

“How long must we wait?” Kikyou demanded. “Can you not simply take the boy’s power for your own?”

“Patience,” he hissed. “It is difficult enough for me to invade the heart and mind of one so innocent, so untouched by darkness. This girl you despise has shielded him well with her love. I could perhaps take from him a small portion of his power, but it would not be enough to allow you your freedom. Besides, things are progressing well.”

“So you say,” Kikyou scoffed. “As if I would trust one such as you, on your word.”

“Your trust is of no consequence to me,” he replied. “Though I would suggest that you mind your insolence, lest I find that disposing of you would be easier than leaving you alive, once I have secured his power.”

Kikyou narrowed her eyes at the shadow, but kept her tongue still. She could abide this creature until, she was free, and she wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of that freedom, least of all her own impatience. Then she would be free to kill the girl who had stolen her life and reclaim InuYasha’s life as her own.

Taro awoke from a fitful sleep, his heart aching. Every time he had managed to fall, he found himself dreaming of his mother, and of hearing her speak those unimaginable words. ‘Maybe I can get rid of it.’ She had wanted to get rid of him, as if he was nothing more than a burden. Even now when he was awake he could still hear it.

She had lied to him. His mother hadn’t wanted him, after all. It was a hard thing to come to terms with, especially for one so young as he. What’s more, if she had lied to him about that, then how could he be certain that everything else she had told him wasn’t a lie, as well?

It hurt so much, and he didn’t know what to do. The only person who could comfort him was the one who had lied to him. It was just too much for him to handle on his own. He just wanted someone to take care of him, so that he wouldn’t have to think about it anymore, so he wouldn’t have to feel so lonely and afraid.

“P-p-please,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he tried to hold back his tears. “Please, I don’t want to hurt anymore. Help me.”

As soon as the words left his lips, he felt the air around him thicken, and he knew at once that he had made a mistake. Familiar darkness swelled around him and he recognized its evil. It reached into him and drew out his power. He had been tricked. He never should have believed those horrible lies about his mother. His parents always told him to trust his instincts, and he had failed them when it was most important.

He had often wondered if his mother might not have been better off without him, and now he knew for certain. He had been the reason for her pain for most of his life. He only hoped that his failure would not end up causing her even more.

Kikyou lifted her head as something inside her snapped and broke free. She looked at the boy laying motionless in front of her and then to the shadows. There from out of the darkness he materialized, appearing solid and whole.

“He has surrendered to my will,” he told her. “You are now free as was our agreement.”

She wasted no time in gathering her things. Now she would hunt down InuYasha and her reincarnation and have her revenge. “I do not wish to see you again now that our bargain is concluded, and remember you have given your word to stay away from my village.”

“I have not forgotten,” he said.

She nodded once and then headed off in the direction of her former home. However, before she had made it more than a few paces she was stopped by his laughter.

“Do you really think that you can defeat them without my aid?” he chuckled darkly. “Your power is diminished, and hers has grown.”

Kikyou turned back. “She is but a child. I will have no trouble destroying her and reclaiming what is mine.”

Again he laughed. “You speak as though you are confident, but your heart says otherwise. He will kill you before you have the chance to find out should you try and harm her, unless you subdue him, and she will have to be dead before you are able to do so.”

Kikyou faltered. She knew he could not be trusted, that he was not to be believed, but his words held the ring of truth, and she cursed him for it. “What would you have me do?”

“Help me create the terror that I desire, and I will aid you in seeking your revenge,” he replied. “You will not have to wait long, for once we begin they will come to us to reclaim their son, and together we will destroy them.”

“So be it,” she agreed.