InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unplanned ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha. Just our original characters. Rumiko Takahashi owns InuYasha.

 

Chapter Eight: Ryouken's Voice and San's Surprise

 

 

San hummed softly as she walked under the shade of the trees. Her mother had given her a new outfit to wear when they trained, and San couldn't help but feel more grown-up when she wore the uniform that was so similar to her mother's. Even though she had already finished her morning training, she still wore the clothes that caused the others in the village to whisper, sometimes out of inquisitiveness, sometimes out of apparent confusion. But she didn't care. She wore the small slayer's uniform with pride and loved every moment of it. Cold eyes watched as she came walking closer, a look of smug happiness on her face.

“You seem too be quite young for wearing such an outfit,” came a dark voice as San neared one of the few large, ancient trees that still grew in the forest.

She froze and backed away from the form that stood cloaked in shadows that seemed far too dark for that time of day. “Who are you?” she asked, pushing the fear from her voice as she remembered what her mother told her about being confident.

A deep laugh resonated from the shadows like mists creeping over the waterfront. “That is of no concern to you. I am here to tell you that he remains alive, though his condition could be much better.”

“Who are you talking about?” San asked incredulously.

“The one whose heart began to beat when yours did,” the man answered.

San caught the glimmer of red eyes before he vanished with a sudden gust of wind that swept through the forest.

 

 

 

Nekiyo brought his twin swords up in a scissor motion. The man before him on his knees trembled in fear. Lying about him was the bodies of his fellow bandits. He was the youngest and therefore the only survivor.

 

"Please, I'll do whatever you want. Just don't kill me!." he cried out, panic tighening his throat.

 

A sinister grin was already spread Nekiyo's face. "I'll tell you what... You can live. So long as you pledge yourself and your family to my service for the rest of eternity. Deal?"

 

"Yes. Anything. Just please...."The flat of a blade was slapped lightly against his jaw.

 

"Good. Now scream." Nekiyo laughed. Calling upon his demon, an albino cobra-constictor, he sent it down the bandit's throat to retrieve that which he desired. His voice and his heart. Leaving in their place a snake egg branded with a spider.

 

Nekiyo retrieved his incarnation and his new 'slave' and returned home. His father would pleased. San was in need of a new toy. His mother could consume the soul, as Nekiyo had already fed upon the souls of the bandit's allies. He could summon the corpses later.

 

 

 

Ryouken followed the spider lord warily. In his past encounters with demons, it was always the spider demons who always proved to be the trickiest foes. With his empathy restored it wasn't hard to miss the fact that they planned to use him. :Not that I mind. These demons will serve MY purposes just as much as I shall serve theirs.: Two sets of eyes watched out from the boy's own. They had remained almoxt completly silent since this had begun. This Naraku had captured Ryouken's complete attention. That though was about to change. As far as InuTaisho was concerned.

 

 

 

InuTaisho's and Midoriko's Talk:

 

 

"Why is a demon lord walking around in my Ward's head?" the miko turned gaurdian asked. Her voice was far from tolerant of this unknown creature.

 

"Why is a priestess trying to drive MY GRANDSON MAD? What are you, stupid. He's a half demon, raised by demons, his demon blood rules his body. For all purposes... He's a full blooded demon." InuTaisho barked at the deceased woman. "I give you credit human. You are powerful. But nowhere near capabale of restraining a hanyou gone mad. And thats exactley what has happened to Ryouken."

 

"What about what his father did? Sesshomaru nearly killed the poor boy countless times over. If not for my interferance...."

 

"Silence. You think I don't know that. I have been very aware of everything that has been happening to my offspring and their children since my death. I would have been content to stay dead, except for one small matter. The curse on my blood that your blood put there. So, Priestess Midoriko, how do you suppose we fix your little slayer's mistake?"

 

"She was only trying to protect her son, Lord InuTaisho. She loves him...." Midoriko felt a clawed finger press against her lips.

 

"Ryouken doesn't know that. He won't understand. The only one who is going to be able to reach him right now is his own sister. But at the moment, anything and everything is fair game to his claws. His human nature and demon self are to close together. If he had been left alone, he might have been alright. But now, he is affected by the same curse that haunts your Shikon no Tama. And all we can do, is lend him our strength and hope his heart will heal." InuTaisho dropped his hand and moved away from the miko. "I'll be around just as long as you will be. Someone has to look out for the kid when he goes rogue. And since there is no Tetsuiga... I'll have to do it myself." With that the demon lord slipped away into the depths of Ryouken's mind to glimpse through his memories again. :And you Sesshomaru have a lot of explaining to do.:

 

 

Ryouken continued his silent thoughts until he felt himself bump into something solid. He looked up into a set of crimson eyes, dark with concern. Unable to voice his question he allowed his face to express what he wanted to know with a raised brow. His expression was so like his father's that Naralu momentarily choked. The spider demon gestured to a mirror hanging on the wall. It was the size of a set of double doors. A misty glaze covered most of the surface.

 

"This is the mirror doorway. If you think of a location it will instantley grant you the way there. Or you can use it to observe your foes. But it requires a shikon jewel shard in order to be activated. Do you have one?" Naraku watched the boy as he shifted his stance. Then for a moment his entire body seemed to pulse with energy. Ryouken stepped over to the mirror. His eyes examined every inch of the surface. Then another pulse of purifying energy pulsed directly into the mirror itself. It instantly cleared to reveal Sesshomaru with his ward Rin at his side. The imp Jaken was lying on the ground apparently exhausted from a days work.

 

A dazzleing smile danced across the human girl's face. For standing just across from them was a young demon slayer that brought a gasp of shock from Naraku.

 

"Kohaku....?"

 

Ryouken would have grinned but his eyes were now focused on his father. With another surge of power he directed the mirror to visualize on someone he had only ever seen in his dreams. His sister, San.

 

The mirror revealed a girl his age, dressed in a slayer's uniform with an elegant katana in her hand. For a moment Ryouken's entire body seemed to tense. Then he closed his eyes and placed his clawed hand upon the mirror. The girl beyond seemed to get dizzy for a second. Then her eyes fazed to a nearly dazziling blue. Her black hair seemed to gain an almost silver highlight, while her white ears seemed to faze almost black. The crescent moon which sat upon her brow glowed with eerie light. It was almost as if he had possessed his sister, until he opened his eyes and actually growled. The girl in the mirror also seemed to growl.

 

Naraku watched the boy's eyes and noted that they had fazed from a clear amber to a glowing red. :So, thats what he's doing. He's giving part of his power to his sister. The question is why? Perhaps they should meet. But not right away. How did he activate the mirror without the jewel shards? Unless he can channel the power nece.....: He let his gaze move away from the boy's eyes to rest upon the mirror. :Just what is he?:

 

 

 

San felt something tugging at the edge of her mind. She pushed it away and concentrated on the mock battle she was in with her mother. But the nagging tug came back almost immediately, and much stronger than it was before. It felt like a wall in her mind was suddenly broken and all sorts of thoughts and emotions came flooding in. The outside world melted away to red as she heard a dark voice whispering things that would have terrified her before. Now they only fueled her bloodlust.

 

 

"Kill her. She is only going to betray you. She slays demons. Your a half-demon.": the dark whisper growled.

 

Shadowy images began to form in the red haze around her. She could see the one she called 'mother.' :You would kill me, but I will kill you first: her demon blood raged insider her mind. She lunged for the woman only a few feet away from her.

 

Feelings of concern flickered to life in Sango's mind when she noticed that her daughter seemed to be suddenly fatigued to the point where she didn't even take the chance to attack when an opportune moment presented itself. San had completely stopped moving and was only standing there, eyes staring vaguely down. Chilling remembrance gripped Sango's heart as she watched her daughter's eyes turn red, just like Inuyasha's when his demon blood took control.

 

"San? San, answer me if you can-" but her words of concern were cut off when San leapt towards her.

 

A whisper of dark energy seemed to pulse around her daughter's small body, strangley pure in it's own fashion. A growl of hate slipped past her daughter's throat. Then came the words. The very words that caused her heart to freeze in her chest.

 

"Traitor. Die, bitch."

 

Hearing her San's words, Sango knew that her daughter's mind truly was being controlled by the demon blood, but it cut her deeply. She knew that one day she would have to explain some things to San, such as the matter of San being a half demon and Sango being a demon slayer. She had wished for a few more years before that conversation, hoping that if San was older, it would be easier to make her understand.

 

Ryouken growled with pleasure. The woman's guilt was begining to eat at her. Now it was time to make the girl suffer. He directed his thoughts and focused more of his power into her. Allowing her to feel more demonic energy than she normally would have. Digging his mental claws in more firmly he began to whisper.

 

"Do you know me? I know you. I know you better than you know yourself. Did you know that they sacrifced your brother to keep you? To train you so that you could kill me. I am him. I am your brother. Ryouken": his voice echoed in her mind. Darkly with his 'truth'.

 

San slashed her claws through the air, barely missing Sango. She jumped towards her, forcing Sango to shield herself with her hiraikotsu. :Why should I have mercy on those who only use me as a tool of destruction? Why should I allow myself to be used this way?:

 

:"Exactly. We are nothing more than weapons to them. To test who has better training. The slayers or the demons. Our own father set a neko deva to slit open my throat. It suceeded. I have no voice. My face was scared by our father's claws because I dared defend myself. They will do they same to you.": he warned.

 

She took another swing for her mother. :I will not let them do that to me, I will not let them hurt me. Not mother, not father, not Aunt Kagome, or ...: There came a pause, and a seed of doubt was planted in her mind. :But Uncle Inuyasha is a hanyou like I am. They have never hurt him, and he helps me train just like the others.:

 

:"Lies. Our father, the Lord of the Western Lands has tried to slay his own brother. Has set me the task of retrieveing the Tetsuiga or dying. Our mother, the tajiya Sango, has tried to slay him at points in time as well. They enslaved him with the rosary. Thats all he is. A slave to them. To fulfill their desires or pay.": He returned.

 

:"Enough.": came a commanding bark. The tone was forceful and warm. Concern shattering the haze of bloodlust from her vision. :"Ryouken enough. She has nothing to do with this. Leave San alone. Return to your own mind or so help me... I'll make you.":

 

The shadowy voice in her mind growled at this new intruder but did as he was told. Then a figure stepped to allow her to see who he was.

 

:"Hello, San. I am your grandfather. InuTaisho. Forgive Ryouken. He isn't right. You'll meet soon enough. But for now... Seek out the sword of light. It belonged to your grandmother. It resides in the depths of her cave.": With that he was gone.

 

The haze of red that dominated San's field of view diminished, bringing her sight back to normal. Her legs felt weak, and her knees buckled, sending her to the ground. She looked up and saw Sango not too far away from her, face flushed and tears in her eyes. :What have I done?: "Mother," she called out weakly, almost too ashamed to.

 

Sango came to her side and pulled San into her arms. "I'm sorry, mother," she said softly as she leaned her head against Sango's chest, hearing her agitated heartbeat.

 

"San," she whispered into a delicate white ear. "My little San, is everything alright? What happened?"

 

"I heard this voice. It came into my mind and told me things. It told me that you were training me to kill him. He said he was my brother, Ryouken. He told me that I was only a weapon to you and that you didn't care about hurting me. He kept on saying those sorts of things until grandfather came and stopped him. He told me to forgive my brother, that he wasn't right, and that I should find the sword of light. Do I really have a brother?"

 

Sango blinked in surprise. Her face became sad at the mention of her stolen and deceased son. "San, sweet, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wanted to wait until you were older. But, yes, you did have a brother. But, he died. A long time ago. Your... I mean... A friend.... Your Uncle InuYasha's brother came and took him when you were just babies. I never was even able to hold him like I was able to hold you. Then one day, a few years ago, he came back. He told me that he was dead. I never even got to name him. But in my heart I called him Kohaku. For my own brother. Do you understand?"

 

San felt her face fall. :Spirits. Those who had passed from our world into the next. My brother is there. With our Grandfather. But it doesn't feel right. He shouldn't be dead.: "Yes mother. I understand." she answered. :Ryouken. Or Kohaku. Whoever you are... I pray you find peace.: