InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wandering Souls ❯ Hurtful Memories part 2 ( Chapter 3 )

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"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?"

"Really?" Marie brightened unsure wither to trust the demon Lord. " Won't take Lea away from me?"

"Really. " he told her, his patience with the child beginning to wear thin. "And we'll even make sure you get training so you can control your powers better."

Marie shuddered at the thought of the light, a hundred questions filling her mind. Noratu held his arms open to the two girls and Marie hesitantly stepped into them, sensing she had no other choice if she wanted to keep Lea safe.

Her life had become a living nightmare after that day. Noratu had been true to his word though and had her trained her both in the ways of the miko and in battle training. He formed her powers into a powerful force that he used for his own means. All the while telling her that one day he would use her to help him take over the Western Lands.

Over the years he had allowed Marie to raise her younger sister, only taking an interest in Lea when her training became advanced. By the time Marie was sixteen, Noratu had decided to make the human girl one of his many mates. So against her will Marie was marked, his sharp fangs dug deeply into her tender flesh where the neck met the shoulder, while he violated the rest of her body with his. After that he forced the girl to wear a low cut top that revealed his mark for all to view.

Saddened at the loss of here innocence Marie discovered that in the process she had gained some of the demon's abilities. Her senses heightened till she was almost equal with that of many higher-level demons, while her own powers grew stronger. She could move quicker then, almost being able to keep up with her six-year-old sister. Noratu also taught her to fight along side of Lea. Her sword, Tasuke, a gift form a pleased Noratu upon her completion of her miko training, became her constant companion.

Through it all Marie always steadfastly protected Lea from Noratu's cruelty towards her. Always explaining away the bruises as coming from sparing. Lea had devotedly believed her loving sister till she was fourteen. That was when Lea saw her father take out his anger on her older sister. Lea had crept away not letting anyone know she had been there, but Marie had known, had sensed her presence even when Noratu had not. Even though she knew Lea had seen what had happened, Marie still used the same excuse the next day when Lea had asked. Lea never mentioned knowing to Marie, pretending to believe her older sister's excuse. Marie let the matter go hoping in time that Lea would forget.

A year after that, Noratu did not return from a skirmish near the West Lands, where he had traveled to search for some jewel shard. He was going to challenge the ruling Lord for hunting rights so that he could find it. He had taken Lea with him as a training mission. Marie had wondered why she had not been taken along also because he had been training her to do battle against the Western Lord.

Marie did not care if he ever came back, but the torment from his other mates had steadily grown worse during his absence. Till one day Marie got beat so severely that Lea, upon her return found Marie unconscious on the garden pavement. Worriedly, Lea had scooped her up as if she were a child and raced from her father's palace knowing exactly what had happened without Marie telling her anything.

Lea had grown into a powerful young woman by this time with full control over her own abilities, which strangely enough gave her the full inu yoaki form. Something mostly only full demon's had. Lea could only use it for a short time though and would soon fall exhausted after transforming. She had also, under her father's careful tutelage, had become a strong warrior, surpassing even Noratu himself.

Already battle tested, having gone with her sister and father many times, Lea's instincts had kicked in and she hid her sister deep in the forest.

Marie had been surprised to see Lea when she came to because of her being away with her father, it had been the first time she and Lea had been separated for more then a day at a time.

Lea had stammered out everything that had happened then trying to hide her disquiet at what had happened to Marie in her absence. It was then that Marie Learned Noratu was dead, never to return, or so she hoped anyway and of the powerful young hanyou who had slain Noratu. The hanyou had been protecting the keeper of the jewel that Noratu sought, a young miko not yet sure of her powers.

Marie caved in when Lea begged her to go after the young man, not for revenge but for revenge but for the desire to see him again. Looking deep into Lea's pleading gaze, Marie suddenly realized that her sister was a grown woman now, not that small bundle she had sworn to protect so long ago.

Sadly, Marie agreed and they set out. It had taken them a week to reach the Western Lands, traveling at an easy pace while Marie healed from her wounds.

Leah had been anxious wanting to travel swiftly, hoping to over catch up to the young hanyou. In the end the girls traveled the lands for a year gathering information on the group the he traveled with. On one of their trips into the South Lands, Marie longed to see her home. They had gotten a harsh welcome from the new lord barely escaping with their lives but Marie had some how gotten what she had been longing for.

Her mother's necklace, a single black pearl cradled by a silver claw and suspended on a golden chain. The necklace now rested around her neck and she fingered it lightly as her thoughts returned to the present with a start.

"Hey! Gloomy!" Lea tapped Marie's forehead lightly, "you still in there?"

Marie brushed her sister's hand away and glared over at her. "What?"

"Nothing, " Lea grinned happy to see some kind of emotion on Marie's face. It bugged her when the older girl got that cold expression. She knew Marie had been thinking about the past just from the way she caressed their mother's necklace. Nothing she seemed to do could erase what ever it had been that her father had done to Marie, but she would continue to try.

Marie growled at lea and marched ahead. "Leave it Lea."

"Sure big sis," Lea laughed bouncing around Marie again. "Now will you hurry up?"

"You just…" whatever Marie was going to say was lost as Marie scented the air around her. "Do you smell that?"

"Huh? Smell what?" Lea asked following Marie's example, then her nose wrinkled as she too caught the faint scent. "Blood, human blood."

"Marie nodded and followed the smell her healer instincts taking over. "Some one may need help. Come on!" Marie raced off through the trees leaving a surprised Lea behind.

"Now she decides to hurry!" grumbled Lea as she took off after her sister. It was not hard for Lea to catch up to Marie, since she was three times faster then her human sister, but some how Marie had managed to find the source of the smell before she could find Marie. It amused her to know Marie could move that fast when her emotions took over. The amusement faded quickly when her eyes fell upon the scene in the small clearing.