InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wandering Souls ❯ Hurtful Memories part 1 ( Chapter 2 )

AN: The next few chapters will deal with the girls' past memories.

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Marie thought back about the day Noratu had entered her life. He had appeared one year before Lea had been born and her mother had fallen instantly for the purple haired demon Lord. Marie nine at the time had immediately disliked him, but her mother turned a deaf ear to the child's worries believing Marie to still be upset over her own father's death two years earlier.

At first Noratu had been kind to Marie on his visits, tolerating the child's questioning glances and out right hatred she felt toward him. Soon her mother began sending her away every time he returned, leaving the child in the care of neighbors or alone. The look on her mother's face was one of worry for the child, but knew it was for the best. Over the course of that year Marie watched her mother turn from a Lonely, yet happy woman to a broken, saddened creature she barely recognized anymore.

Marie did not understand what Noratu had done to make her mother so sad, but she decided to help her mother whenever she could, which meant doing just about everything in the house.

On the day Lea was born, her mother had called Marie into the room and placed the small crying bundle in her arms.

"Meet your baby sister Marie. Her name is Lea and you must do everything you canto protect her and raise her right. I entrust you, my daughter, with your sister's life."

Marie had looked at her mother in confusion, not understanding what her mother wanted from her, but knew her mother too weak to question. She lay there, her mother, her face a sickly pale color, her raven hair spread out around her head like a black halo, damp and matted from the ordeal of child birth. Marie could see her mother's hands shook from the excursion as they lay on her wool blanket, her eyes closed.

"Promise me!" her mother's voice startled Marie who thought she was asleep. "Promise you will protect her with your life."

"I promise Mother," Marie cried softly clutching the crying bundle to her chest.

Her mother nodded then, her eyes still closed as a ghost of a smile crossed her pale lips. "You are a good daughter."

A moment later the healer attending her mother shooed Marie out of the room, explaining quickly how to still the baby. Once her mother was resting, the healer had stepped from the room and glared down at the baby with loathing in her eyes.

"You should take that child out to the woods and leave her there." the healer spat in disgust, "No good will come of a half-breed."

Marie looked at the woman, not understanding what a baby could do to possible warrant the healer's hatred. Defensively, Marie held the baby tighter.

"Leave my sister alone!" Marie cried.

"Keep her then child, but be warned when she grows she'll turn on you," the healer sneered, "Maybe even kill you."

"Why do you say such mean things?" Marie demanded angrily.

"She's a hanyou, child," the healer retorted, "a half-breed demon child."

Marie suddenly understood what was wrong with the woman. Lea was different and the superstitious villagers would always look down on her. Mostly out of fear, Marie thought.

"My sister will never be like that!" Marie growled at the healer. Never had she felt such a mixture of sadness and anger at one time. Now she understood her mother's wish. Right then, Marie decided she would make sure Lea would never turn for the worst.

"Leave healer!" Marie retorted. "Your work here is done."

"Take my advice child, leave the babe." The healer had left in a huff, leaving the small family alone.

Marie finally calmed the baby down and cared for her mother by nightfall. She was just about to lay down when the door to their house crashed open. Noratu burst in, going straight to her mother's room. Hurriedly, Marie gathered Lea in her arms from where the baby lay sleeping on her small cot. Lea didn't awaken as Marie's instincts to protect bother herself and her sister kicked in.

"WHERE IS MY CHILD?" Marie heard Noratu scream at her mother. His deep voice echoed thought the small hut and Marie could hear the growl in them. Deep fear clutched at her heart and she hid behind her bed screen, huddling in a corner of the room. She held tightly to Lea and feared for her mother, whom she had promised to protect Lea. Marie was determined to do just that no matter what the cost.

A sudden crash from her mother's room made Marie push father back into the corner, tears streaming down her face.

"Where is she?" Noratu thundered, pushing the few things her mother had over. In his anger, he ransacked the tiny room looking for the newborn infant.

As his search lead him back into the adjoining room, Marie caught a slight glimpse into her mother's room. The screen had been angled so that Marie could watch her mother from her bed and still has some privacy of her own. What she saw made her heart miss a beat.

The room was in a state of upheaval everything scattered and broken. Her mother's body lay off the bed, blood dripping from the corner of her pale lips. What frightened Marie the most was the way her mother's brown eyes seemed to stare at her, yet through her at the same time. They held no life to them and Marie knew her mother was gone. She could even see the small death demons that claimed a person's soul on their death.

Suddenly, the screen crashed to the side as Noratu discovered Marie's hiding place and she stared up at him in horror.

"Give me that child, " he demanded "And your death will be painless."

Marie could hear the growl behind his words, sensed he meant every word he said, but she squared her small shoulders and glared up at Noratu with a bravery she did not feel.

"No! You aren't gonna hurt my sister!" Marie shouted in defiance, fear shining in her deep brown eyes.

A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes but was quickly replaced by anger.

"Do not bait me child." His scowl sent a shiver down Marie's spine. "That baby is mine and you will die!"

Marie knew she was dead either way even at her young age so she stood her ground, twisting her around till it shielded Lea from Noratu.

"I promised!" Marie screamed, her tears flowing even harder. The young girl curled her body around her sister as she saw Noratu raise a clawed hand; her eyes closed tightly waiting for him to kill her.

The second Lea started crying, Marie realized that something was wrong. Cracking one eye open, Marie hesitantly peered around. Noratu towered over her, rage blazing in his deep purple eyes. He stoo9d poised to strike but something seemed to hold him in place. A pale white glow surrounded Marie and she stared down at her sister, who screamed in her arms.

"Shh, it'll be Okay," Marie whispered to Lea. "I promised mother. Please don't cry."

"Stop it!" Noratu growled his eyes becoming a deep red. "The light will hurt her."

"I'm not hurting her! You are!" Marie forgot her fear at her sister's tears. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop hurting her!" Marie demanded advancing on the surprised demon Lord. Never had a human spoke to him in such an angry and defiant manner. The light grew brighter with each step Marie took towards Noratu and he visible cringed.

"Human, you are the one who brings the light, not I, " he replied through gritted teeth. Then an evil thought crossed his mind, one that Marie could see in his face, though she didn't find out till years later what it was exactly.

"I am not," Marie protested weakly. Something about what he said was beginning a tight knot in the pit of her stomach.

"You are. Now you have to stop before harm her farther."

"No! It's not me!" Panic gripped Marie and she dashed past the immobile demon Lord and out into the night.

Free from the light, Noratu chased after them, finally finding them deep in the forest. Marie huddled against a large tree; deep-racking sobs shook her tiny frame. Looking at the human girl, Noratu wondered how she had been able to avoid him so long, she was human after all, but he decided to change tactics because now he wanted both of them for himself.

"Child," His voice become gentle, softer then Marie had ever heard it. "You must calm yourself, " he approached the girls carefully, not wanting to frighten Marie into running away again. He could tell she was already exhausted having unknowingly used so much of the budding power within her. He realized that one day she would be a powerful tool against any who dared come against him. He grinned as he thought of using Marie against his worst enemy, The Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru.

"I won't let you hurt Lea, like you hurt Mommy." Marie stammered, hiccupping, as her crying became less.

"I do not want to hurt Lea," Noratu replied calmly. "And I did not hurt your mother. She was already dead when I arrived. " He sighed looking down at the terrified human girl letting sadness fill his eyes. "I beg your forgiveness child. I merely acted our of grief when I saw your mother had passed, then when I could not find Lea, I went mad believing some one was going to kill her. I meant nothing by it, just worry for my child."

"You said you were going to kill me!" Marie accused him scuttling farther away.

"Only because I thought you were trying to suffocate her!"

"Suh-fo-kate?" Marie stumbled over the unfamiliar word, "What's that?"

"Suffocate," Noratu corrected her, trying to hide his amusement at the child before him. "It means to stop her from breathing."

"Why would I hurt Lea?" asked Marie looking up at him with a demand that only a child could have. Then it changed as the healer's words replayed themselves in Marie's mind. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a small O as understanding hit home.

"I would never do that!" Marie fumed. "She's my sister!"

"I know that now, " Noratu replied kneeling down in front of them. His eyes fell on the baby in her arms and smiled. Marie could see it was genuine. "How would you like to come live with us and you can keep your promise?"