InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wishmaster ❯ The Entrapment and the Infusion of Powers ( Chapter 2 )

'The white rock . . . Must find the white rock . . .'

The figures in front of him never moved, never wavered. And he followed them, no longer stumbling. The scenery had changed some, the trees becoming larger and thicker around him, going deeper into the forest that had been named after him. A full moon lit the way. His path had smoothed out some time before but he didn't care. He paid attention only to the draw and to those leading him. Nothing else mattered. Not finding the jewel shards, not Kagome, just following them. How long they had walked, he didn't know. Time and distance no longer had any meaning.

"We're almost there . . . Come . . . Follow us, Inuyasha . . ."

"The white rock . . . Almost there . . . Almost to the white rock . . ." he murmured, his eyes half-closed with sleep once more. "I wonder if Kikyou's going to be there . . ."

"Yes . . . To the white rock . . . Just a little further, Inuyasha. Just a little further . . . And, Kikyou is not going to be there."

"Why not?"

"Because Kikyou is helping some villagers . . . Making sure that their children don't get sick."

"I should go to Kikyou . . . Help her . . . Like I used to . . . Or go back to Kagome . . . She smells nice . . . Needs me to protect her . . . Silly girl."

"No, Inuyasha . . . You must come with us . . . To the white rock . . . Kagome is sleeping . . . And we are expected at the white rock . . . We're almost there . . . Come . . . Follow . . ."

The desire to obey filled his mind and all thoughts of Kikyou and Kagome disappeared. Inuyasha nodded dumbly as he continued on.

"Follow . . . Must follow."

As they had said, the white rock soon came into view and he knew why it was called the white rock, though a boulder would have been more like it. It looked like a normal, large rock but, unlike other rocks, it glowed with a bright white light. He wondered what had caused it to glow that bright. The draw he had felt before had intensified, compelling him to reach out. He had to touch it, had to feel it and find out why it shone as bright as the moon above . . .

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"Yes, that's it. Reach out. Touch the rock . . . Make the spell complete." From somewhere, a dark figure watched as the hanyou moved closer and closer to the rock. Around him were several pots, water bottles, and inkpots. In front of him he had placed several bowls containing clear liquids. One bowl, however, held a glowing blue liquid. Everything had been prepared. His apprentice crossed her fingers.

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"Make the spell complete," he murmured. His eyes had glazed over, a sleepy expression, the spell of obedience over him complete. Hand extended, his fingers brushed against the rock, and it felt smooth, cool, much like any other rock. Power blasted by him and began to envelop him, raising up a wind of the likes he had never experienced before. It ruffled his clothes and blew his hair back yet he remained standing, as if the wind itself didn't exist. The light grew brighter, if that had been possible, and some unknown force began to pull him in. His eyes closed and darkness overtook him . . .

When he opened his eyes, it was to a splitting headache. Inuyasha stifled a groan. What the hell hit him? He tried to rub his forehead but found he couldn't move his arm very far. Then he felt the ropes around his wrists and his ankles, effectively keeping him in place. He stifled another groan. His limbs felt limp and sore, like he'd been slammed repeatedly into a couple dozen trees or so. He just didn't have the strength to break from the bonds nor did he really want to. Sleep sounded better. He could try and break free in the morning.

`No . . . I have to break free now . . . Kagome . . . She's in the village . . .'

"Shhh . . . Kagome is safe. Do not worry, precious one. Just relax."

"Wha . . . what happened?" he moaned, his head lolling from side to side as he struggled through the fog. As things became clearer, he heard the voice of someone chanting over him. A male voice. His vision cleared a little as something was written on his forehead. It felt cold and wet yet it burned at the same time. The hand touching him felt human and there was more. Whoever held him captive wasn't alone. Others had circled around him - he sensed their presence more than what he saw them. A drum pounded in the background. He clenched his teeth, trying to block out the pain from the liquid.

`Must . . . make it stop . . . It burns . . . This can't be good . . .'

"Do not fight it, Inuyasha . . . Come . . . Be with us . . ."

"Be . . . with . . . you . . . But it hurts . . . I can't . . . Kagome!!" he gasped out.

"Shhh . . . it's all right, Inuyasha . . . Kagome is sleeping . . . Don't fight it. Just relax. Relax."

He relaxed slightly, his breathing steady, and the voices quieted except for the chanting and the drumming. The writing with the strange liquid continued and burned him wherever it was applied. More writing on his forehead, some around his wrists . . . his haori and his shirt had been stripped off and the writing had been applied there as well. A groan escaped him and he started writhing, struggling against his bonds. The ropes started to bite into him - he smelled the blood rushing to his wrists - and the liquid seeped to the red and irritated wounds, burning him even more. Breathing became a little difficult, especially where the writing had been applied.

"I can't breathe . . . It hurts . . . it's burning . . . Why's it burning?"

"Shhh . . . relax, Inuyasha . . . Soon, very soon . . . you'll be one of us . . . Just relax . . . It'll be over soon."

"I can't," he whimpered, trying to catch his breath. "It hurts . . . make it stop . . . Kagome!!"

"It's all right, Inuyasha . . . Kagome is sleeping . . . We do not want to wake her up . . . Please relax . . . We promise, it'll be over soon . . . You'll be one of us, one of our brethren . . . Shhh . . . It'll all be over soon . . ."

"Over soon," he panted but he didn't think he could take much more of whatever was going on. His demon blood began to boil and rise to the surface, and he panicked. He had felt the Tetsusaiga on his chest and then again as it was pressed next to him.

`No . . . This can't . . . I can't . . . Kagome, please! Someone stop me! I can't . . . control myself!'

"Over soon . . . It'll be over soon . . . Please let it be over soon . . ." he moaned.

"Yes . . . It'll be over soon . . . We promised . . . Just relax. You need not worry. Nothing bad is going to happen. It's almost over."

Something cool was placed on his forehead and it felt like something was being sealed in place. His demon blood calmed and his panic subsided. But the burning sensation didn't decrease. The chanting picked up and power began to envelop him once more. Instead of drawing him somewhere, however, it began fill his blood, haze over his vision, and set every inch of his body on fire. Possibilities flooded his imagination, thousands of possibilities and each one became greater than the last. Despite his thrashing about, the small object that had been placed on his forehead never moved. The chanting and drumming quickened their pace, reaching a frenzied beat. His heart felt like it could burst inside of him, killing him in an instant.

"Must . . . make it . . . stop . . ." he moaned once more, his throat constricting. "Kagome . . ."

"Relax, Inuyasha . . . You're safe. Your friends are safe. They are sleeping peacefully, including Kagome. No one will hurt them. We promise. Just relax. Relax."

He gurgled out a response but nothing coherent came out. His eyes closed as he tried to block out the pain and to escape from the bonds that held him in place. The rope shackles were soon replaced by cool metal shackles but with no chains. His arms were free yet still somehow felt tied in place. Whatever had been placed on his forehead had fused itself there and he felt a part of his soul being chained to an object, a small and slender object. His mouth felt dry, as if he hadn't had a drop of water in over a week. Then it happened. The last words were spoken and he was being elevated into the air. Breathing became easier. He let out a tired sigh. The pain had begun to dissipate and he felt tired all over once more.

`So tired . . .'

Before he blacked out, he noticed several things had changed but nothing registered clearly. His clothes were not the same. His pants had changed somehow, became thinner and smoother in texture, wispier. His haori and white shirt were gone, replaced by some strange piece of clothing that didn't close in the front and definitely didn't cover his arms. Shoes of some sort had attached themselves to his feet. Even his hair had changed somehow, hanging down as it always did but pulled back. The rosary and the Tetsusaiga, he felt them burning their way into his body until they were no longer in their places around his neck and at his side. Writing painfully etched itself onto his wrists, just below the cool metal bonds, and a piece of leather wrapped snugly itself around his throat. A strong wind wrapped around him and pulled him into a standing position. He crossed his arms in an X formation front of him. Oddly enough, he didn't feel cold but he couldn't stop the compulsion. He felt no physical sensations - neither heat nor cold, thirst nor hunger - just the power that had imbedded itself within him. It pulsed throughout him, radiating off of him with each breath he took and with each beat of his heart. He felt like he could do anything in the world but all he could think about was resting. An end to this pleasant yet odd dream. A white light surrounded him.

"You now know the rules, Inuyasha. You are one of us. The beads of subjugation led you to us. Welcome, brother."

'What's happened to me?'

"One of . . . you," he whispered sleepily. "Why am I one of you now?"

"Yes. One of us. Hand-picked for a specific task by a specific person. You will be recognized as powerful. Rest now. When the time comes, you'll know what to do. But rest in the meantime. You need it. Sleep now."

"Rest . . ."

"Yes. Rest. Sleep, precious one. Everything will be better in the morning. Sleep."

"Do . . . do you promise?"

"Hai. We promise. Close your eyes and sleep."

His feet touched something smooth and hard, his eyes closed, and he fell into a restless slumber.