Revenge So Sweet, an inuyasha fanfic

Once Upon a Moonlit Night

Liquid gold melted upon vibrant emerald within the curve of the unfurled leaf. Hands, pale, yet gently kissed by the sun, carefully smoothed out strands of gossamer dew from the green curl; each droplet a perfect crystal sphere, a rainbow trapped within its glassy walls. Slim arms crossed, drew away, then entwined once more in a graceful dance of limbs.

A circlet of jade, mud-earth, and topaz lay upon crimson-clad legs. A simple ringlet of leaves, created from gifts given by Mother Nature herself.

Mighty trees whispered high above, sharing secrets known only by themselves; swaying in a strange, unbroken dance. Light faded rapidly, casting long, elegant shadows onto dusky ground, like black fingers slowly advancing to smother the earth with darkness.

Within the mass of emerald dancers, the great tree, Goshinboku sighed, longingly observing the youthful sea of gold. Her branches spread skywards, and some earthwards; cast protectively over the small - seemingly human - shape huddled beneath, shielding its delicate body from the sun's piercing, unyielding gaze.

The figure paused.

A murmur in the air stirred still winds, disturbing the previous tranquillity. Unsettled, the human-shaped form glanced up for a brief fraction of a moment to glimpse a streak dart across the sky. Orange rays consumed exposed pale skin, the Sun's spell falling across the figure's soft features.

Eyes like honeyed fire skimmed over the watercolour red sky, glittering cryptically like the dying embers of diminished inferno. A roughly triangular shadow spread across a glowing cheek; a nose momentarily crinkling to inhale the night's pungent, oncoming scent. Midnight-blue ears flicked, faster than a blink of an eyelid. Lips curved into a gentle, benign smile, relaxing the tightened muscles of a young face.

That Shippou. He never learnt.

The girl returned to fiddling with her twine of grass, pretending that the faint presence had passed by her unnoticed.

A twig snapped, barely audible, but to her sharp ears. A squirrel jumped agilely to a branch above her head, oblivious to all around it, stopping briefly to sniff reassuringly at the acorn clutched tightly between two brown paws, before continuing to spring effortlessly from branch to branch.

The presence drew closer.

Suddenly, and with barely a moment's warning, the girl swiftly discarded the circlet of leaves, twirling around with lightning speed, only to catch the muddy-red tail of a young fox-boy.

The tail was luxuriously soft and sleek, the glossy pelt like liquid silk between her clenched fingers. The very tip of the tail was a gleaming white, like snow, fallen fresh from winter.

The boy yelped.

His features bathed in a ruby glow from the setting sun, the fox-boy no longer had the distinct rounded appearance of youth. Instead sharper features, such as those of a boy in his mid-teens, were highlighted by the sun's dying rays. Determined jade-green eyes sparkled with the glee of adolescence, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, betraying his mock annoyance.

"Aww…Mayumi, you could've at least given me a chance!" He moaned, his voice high and whiny, still lacking the depth and strength of a grown adult demon.

Tugging gently on his red-earth tail before releasing him, the girl smiled, watching as he spun around to face her, hands placed firmly on hips, and a pouting expression on his indignant face.

"Shippou, you'd be playing your damn fox-tricks on all of us if I let you. I am simply saving poor, innocent people one heck of a lot of aggravation and fox-mischief." The boy's pout intensified, "And you," She emphasised, raising her eyebrows for effect, "from having your cunning little head knocked out by my dad's temper."

"Ha! I could take him on any day!" Shippou boasted proudly, striking a dashing pose, his tail sweeping behind him majestically and his long flame-red hair floating in the breeze, only too aware of how the fading light flattered his striking appearance.

"I'm sure you would, Shippou, but best not risk it, eh?" The girl named Mayumi discouraged him, a vivid picture passing through her mind of her father's wrath upon discovering the young fox-demon's return to the village, and the blows inflicted upon the poor boy for all the new pranks he planned to try out on him. She flinched.

"Annoying InuYasha is always fun. I don't care for him; he couldn't hit me if he tried."

The pair of dark blue ears flicked again, involuntary, and the girl ran a hand through her mess of navy hair doubtfully, shadows briefly alighting on her face before passing once more into nonexistence.

"Hmm. Well… let's go back home and see what Kaasan says, hey?" She suggested democratically. Quite honestly, the last thing they needed at her house at the moment was more conflict.

Her parents constantly bickered. She often pondered on how childish it was, if not entertaining. However after a while it did become rather boring, as it always tended to end in the same, tedious fashion. Her father would say something brash, insensitive and insulting. Her mother would bellow 'Osuwari!' A loud crash would resound, and the next week would be spent finding someone to repair the house. Not to mention the terrible moans, groans and curses the poor local villagers would be forced to endure over the next few days.

Yes. Life was pretty predictable around here.

Shippou would return every summer from his fox-demon training to visit his surrogate mother, to aggravate her father, and to catch up on any news from her. Sango and Miroku would pop around regularly, with their son, Satoshi. Satoshi would practice his usual ritual which he had, rather unfortunately, inherited from his father, of a wandering hand, followed by an innocent question: "Would you do me the honour of bearing my child?" before being praised by his father, resulting in various scolds and shouts directed at the older monk, (who, as often told 'should know better by now - accursed lecher') then fled, hands slammed firmly over ears, from the unfortunate household, chased by an extremely dangerous taijiya. Occasionally, Satoshi's younger siblings and the twins would visit the village, but only when they had time free from demon-slaying. Kohaku was sure to visit regularly with Kirara, enjoying the brief respite from the hectic and tough duties expected of the chief of the demon-slayers. Kouga, the wolf-youkai, infrequently dropped by to give his best wishes to Kagome under her father's wary eye, ending, as always, in an argument between the two immature males, while eye rolls and understanding looks passed between her mother and Ayame. Kouga's visit was always accompanied by that of Katsuhiko; their dashing and fearlessly brave wolf-youkai son, who was always sure to drown Mayumi in his most recent compliments and gifts, much to her father's disgust. Then, the occasional appearance of her renowned uncle, Sesshomaru, lord of the Western Lands and one of the most formidable and powerful youkai in the country, always accompanied by his fire-eyed, fearsome mate, the tigeress-youkai, Michiko.

Mayumi sighed. Most of all, she missed Kaede. Kaede was the grandmother she had never had. She had trained her in the ways of a miko; the serenity, selflessness and grace of a young priestess, and the essential way of the bow and arrow. She told her the legendary stories of InuYasha, Kagome, the tragic dead miko, the wise monk, the aggrieved demon slayer, the brave fox-youkai, and their fearsome enemy, Naraku. The tales were so vivid in her mind's eye, that she felt she had experienced it along with them. If only she had, she thought wistfully. Nowadays, the only youkai around were weak, pathetic creatures, and when anything stronger arose, it was either up to a powerful youkai or the taijiya to destroy it.

The conclusion was, she was weak. She was neither a powerful hanyou like her father, nor a strong miko like her mother. She was a useless, unbalanced mix of both races. Her demonic powers were weak, barely existent; strengthening only upon the moonless night. Her miko powers were weak at that time, and grew more powerful as the full moon waxed. Either way, she was neither one not the other. Being a hanyou might be bad, but being a mere quarter-part demon was far worse.

She may have the pointy dog ears, and sharp claws of her father, but barely a fraction of his demonic powers ran through her veins. She may have miko powers of purification, but they were diluted dramatically by the thin portions of youkai blood she was born with. In a way, she envied Shippou for his certainty in his pure demon blood, and Satoshi for his true spiritual powers, but that was an emotion prohibited by becoming a miko. She was nothing more than a part-demon mongrel.

"Come on, Mayumi!" Shippou prompted her, snapping her out of her daze. "We'd better get back before it gets dark…" He glanced around and shivered involuntarily. "N-not that it's a problem. I'm more than powerful enough to – AHH!"

Mayumi smirked, withdrawing her hand from his shoulder as he spun around frantically. "Shush Shippou, it's just me."

"That was mean!" The terrified kitsune sulked, attempting to regain his composure by crossing his arms across his chest. "You'll pay for that later, Mayumi."

Smiling gently at the young fox-demon, knowing he couldn't keep a serious expression on for more than about a few moments, she nudged him. Proving her prediction accurate, the boy's ginger tail twitched, his eyes sparkling as surrendered to temptation and burst out into laughter.

"We'd better get back Shippou." Mayumi interrupted him after a few moments of rather hysterical giggling, glancing worriedly at the rapidly darkening sky. Pink faded to dark purple, red to shadowy blue, and orange to dusky grey, streams or colour still streaked through the evening sky, blotted momentarily by a large pale bird with ghostly wings fanning overhead as it uttered a shrill screech. Slightly unnerved, Mayumi suppressed a shudder; glad Shippou was there to keep her company. "Come Shippou. I'll race ya back!"

Before the kitsune had chance to reply, Mayumi dashed off, taking advantage of her headway and knowing that it would take no time at all for her fox-demon friend to catch up with her.

Although there were few evident advantages of the pitiful amounts of demon blood in her veins, she treasured the ones she had. As she ran through the forest, leaving the Goshinboku behind; waving ancient leaves at her, she dodged and jumped agilely over various projections with the ease of a full demon. Her body was slim and built for speed. Although her strength was barely more than an average mortal's, her velocity would be unmatchable in human terms.

A branch flew from nowhere to strike her face, and she ducked with ease, its clawed, brown fingers merely catching a strand of her raven hair. Behind her, she could hear Shippou's heavy breathing, as he struggled to gain on her.

Before her she could see the comforting glow of the village. It would only be a matter of moments before she emerged from the trees, then it would be a straight run, past the well… that well. Her mother had the strangest tales about that well. The gateway to the other world.

Mayumi didn't believe any of it. If that was true, why hadn't her mother made one of these Teevelisions? Or better yet, one of the funny metal birds she so often talked about. Mayumi forgot their names. Her mother always explained, patiently, that it was beyond her capabilities to make such a thing single-handed; anymore than Mayumi herself could forge a sword. How could anyone be expected to believe such fantasy?

Shaking her head, she noticed a spurt of red pass her, before hanging, ghostly and grinning in the air before her, as she sped just within reach of the entrance to her house.

"Beat you!" Cried Shippou triumphantly, the strange, hanging apparition disappearing with an echoing 'pop', only to be replaced by the fox boy's own grinning face. "But it was close!"

"Ah, it was." She sighed, mocking disappointment, before allowing her fangs to flash in a smile, then ruffling the marginally shorter boy's hair as he ran inside. Silently, she knew the reason for her lack of effort in their game. Tonight was the dangerous night of the full moon. The night when her powers as a demon diminished, but her powers as a miko grew.

Even with her miko powers, it was extremely hazardous to stay out, weaponless, on the night of her weakness. With a bow and arrow, she could easily purify youkai on such a night, but with not even a sword to protect her, she was as useless as any other human, not to mention her mortality. She never would understand how humans coped in such a form. Poor things, she mused.

Brushing off the dirty soles of her feet before entering, Mayumi cast her eyes up to the warm glow of her home. It was small, but decent, as her mother always said. Modest.

On the other hand, Sango and Miroku's house was slightly larger. It had to be with the amount of children they had! Then, it was unsurprising that they had enough money to feed the village when Miroku squeezed every last penny he could out of witless lords in need of a demon exorcism.

She paused a moment, glancing up at the dazzling sky for a moment before pulling aside the shoji door, bathing in the welcoming warmth seeping from her house. Even from outside she could tell that Shippou had already begun to stir up trouble in the only way he knew how… by winding her father up until breaking point.

Wearily, she stepped inside the disrupted household, quietly pulling the shoji shut behind her.

"Ittaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Shippou yelled tearfully, holding his head and looking pleadingly up at Kagome, his eyes almost the size of two ripe green melons. "InuYasha hit me…"

Mayumi's mother turned. A protective flash passing across her eyes, her hands planting themselves firmly on her hips as the silver-haired young man unsuccessfully attempted to suppress a whimper.

Kagome sent InuYasha a withering look as Shippou fought unsuccessfully to contain his smug look of delight. At this point, everyone in the room knew exactly what was going to happen.

"InuYasha…" Kagome began, very slowly, and very, very dangerously. Within that space of a moment, InuYasha's ears flattened down, plastered to his head, a look of avid panic passing across his eyes. "OSUWARI!"

CRASH!

Mayumi sighed. That was yet another visit from the local carpenter to repair the floorboards. Shippou crossed his arms and shook his head solemnly, as if he was an elder disapproving of such childish behaviour.

Hypocrite, Mayumi thought with mild amusement.

A hand appeared from the small crater of broken floorboards, twitching in agony. Then a face, with a look that could kill upon it, glared furiously at Shippou who promptly fell of his comfortable perch and out of InuYasha's livid eye line.

"I'll get you later you little…" He growled, then noticing Kagome's presence, he stopped abruptly, and instead resorted to throwing venomous glances at the young kitsune.

"Welcome home, Mayumi." Mayumi muttered to herself sarcastically, wisely edging around the scene of chaos and slipping into her room unnoticed. She had just pulled a slim ribbon from her neck (which she usually wore tightly around her head to conceal her tell-tale demonic ears from suspicious villagers) and was about to lie down on her welcoming bed when a sudden blur flew across her vision, planting itself on her nose. A loud sucking sound, accompanied by a sharp pain in the part-demon girl's nose was swiftly ended with a resounding puncturing sound, like a pin piercing a balloon.

"Such is the life of a flea…" A weary voice groaned, and a small, brown speck floated down to the floor, before bouncing back up once more. "Mayumi. Such a long time." He greeted pleasantly, the girl nodding her head respectfully in response, allowing the flea-demon to jump agilely up her miko clothes before alighting on her shoulder.

The flea demon peered up at her face with his big eyes. "My, you have grown."

"As have you, Myoga. Grown more cowardly." She smirked, watching the flea shuffle his tiny feet awkwardly. He seemed to have gained weight since last time she had encountered, but apart from that, he appeared not a day older than he was twenty years ago.

"Ah, well…" He stumbled for a change of subject, clearing his throat importantly to regain his composure. "I have news." He announced suddenly, "from the north lands."

Mayumi glanced down at the miniature demon, perched comfortably on her shoulder, more than a little curious. They rarely saw Myoga nowadays, unless he was running from some great trouble, and as it was extremely uncommon for any truly powerful demons to emerge in day-to-day life, it must be something interesting, she concluded.

"Oh?" She cocked her head slightly to one side, meeting the tiny flea's gaze. "What is it?"

"Demons are stirring in the north, many demons. They're more restless than they have been in many, many moons. I fear trouble is afoot once more. You, and Master InuYasha should take great care. These demons are not friendly." He cautioned, almost trembling with fear himself as he dictated his story.

"Ah, so that's why you came running here…" She teased, condescendingly, playing on the flea's legendary cowardliness, and watching his little hairy eyebrows raise indignantly.

Myoga shook his head, closing his eyes seriously as he tucked his miniature hands into his opposite sleeves. "No, no of course not. I simply came to pay a visit to Master InuYasha and yourself."

"-and to run away!"

"You misunderstand, Miss Mayumi. These demons are unlike any that I have seen since the time of the Shikon Jewel. Never have they been so stirred and powerful as then. We have gone through a very peaceful time, but now that is ending, and there will be great battles once more." His voice rose higher and higher as he went on, terror affecting its pitch until he eventually stopped, pulling a cloth out from the depths of his ragged clothes, wiping his forehead of sweat.

"But- how-?" She struggled to phrase a question, wanting to ask so many. "-Why now?"

"A change in the winds, Mistress. Evil stirs again, and I fear for all our lives."

She snorted with amusement, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. "You'll be fine Myoga."

"Thank you for your confidence in me, Mistress." Myoga bowed graciously, pleased with the compliment.

"Yeah, you'll be long gone before any demons come here."

Another bead of sweat dropped down the flea's forehead, and once again he looked embarrassed. Feeling a little sorry for the tiny demon, Mayumi decisively changed the subject.

"Have you told kaasan and tousan already?" She inquired, her tone more gentle.

"Not yet. Your blood has a simply unique taste, and far more delicious than that of your father's."

"Er… thanks, I guess." She replied, unsure how to react to such a comment, uncertain if it was a compliment. The flea jumped down from her shoulder, and leaped off towards the door.

"It was my pleasure." He briefly turned around to sweep his hat off to her, before squeezing, with difficulty it might be said, through the gap beneath her shoji door.

Absently scratching the flea bite on her nose, Mayumi absently pondered on all the flea had said. He was rarely wrong. But demons stirring in the north? It didn't make sense. Then, youkai behaviour never had.

She supposed the taijiya's would be sent to slay any youkai that dared to place a toe out of line, and if vicious attacks on villages were taken up once again. Outright war between human and demons was unlikely though, after such a long time of fairly mutual peace.

Undressing herself, disentangling herself from her uncomfortable, snow-white miko haori and blood-red hakama to dress in her night-time yukata, she couldn't help one particular thought from burrowing deviously into her mind, like a venomous snake.

I hope I see at least one demon. A proper, hostile demon. I want to fight, as my mother did before me. I want to fight… but she knew, only too well, a miko's duty was to her village, not to herself and her own self-centred wishes. She would continue to pray for the safety of their village, and beg Buddha to spare the lives of the innocent.

Yet… she still could not suppress that single, selfish desire for adventure. With that final thought, the young miko curled up beneath her covers, and lapsed into a shallow sleep.

Mayumi leapt up. Sweat coated her face and limbs in a fine sheen, clinging to her skin like freshly fallen rain. Her heart beat raced like the beat of a geisha's drum; a bird flapping wings violently against her ribs to escape her chest.

She pulled herself upright, wearily, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Another nightmare.

That's all it was, just another nightmare.

Every night, when the full moon waxed, and the quarter-part demon reverted to her weakened mortal form, she had terrible nightmares.

Pale, ghostly hands reached out of a swirling darkness, enveloping her body with midnight tendrils, wrapping suffocatingly around her legs, torso, arms, neck, dragging her down, down into its unfathomable, inescapable depths.

Now it was becoming worse.

With every year that passed, the dreams became more vivid and more frequent. More than once she had awoken from such distress to the dulcet tones of her mother's soft, worried voice, or shaken awake by a blistered hand and her father's gruff concern.

She had long ago dismissed such dreams as a mere by-product of her dominant human blood, or perhaps the fear that accompanied her weak, mortal state, wherein her life dangled seemingly by a string thinner than a spider's silky thread.

Sighing, Mayumi dragged the away from her body, discarding them carelessly to one side, revealing her midnight black yukata as she slid her legs free from the trappings of the bed.

Running a hand through her wild black locks, she was unsurprised to find her defining demonic ears absent and replaced by thick midnight hair, her claws returned to rounded human nails, useful for nothing but the simplest of tasks, her arms smooth and less toned, her eyesight and senses dulled and diminished to bare existence.

It was a strange experience, turning human. She felt so much slighter, so soft, so fragile, so despicably… vulnerable. And mortal.

The capacity of a human body was far less than a demon's. Whether it was withstanding pain and mental trauma, or the absence of need for more than a few hours sleep a night, if any. She wondered how humans could cope existing in such a fragile state day to day. That they did not crack and shatter like pottery, into hundreds of sharp, scattered fragments.

She supposed, as a livelihood, it was not as hard as it was for her on the occasion.

More than once, the thought had crossed her mind of one day marrying a man. Would she end up wedded to a human, as had her father, watching the mortal's fleeting lifespan swiftly pass as they faded and died? Or an immortal demon, living out their lives together?

Her mother was mortal. She would no doubt perish long before her immortal father. It was a tragedy, she thought, I don't know if I could ever stand such a thing.

Stretching her aching, human muscles, arching her arms above her head, she straightened up.

There was no way she could return to sleep in such a pitifully weak state. Her nerves would wake her at the slightest sound, not to mention the nightmare's wrath which would immediately inflict itself upon her the moment she lapsed into the land of dreams.

Frequently, Mayumi would either sit, meditating as Miroku had taught her painstakingly and much to her reluctance, or would wander cautiously around the outskirts of the village, guarding against any hostile youkai, and keeping her restlessness at bay.

At least, if nothing else, she maintained her spiritual powers in human form, their strength increasing tenfold with the full moon's pure light.

Reaching for her bow, quiver - and as an extra precaution she always took in mortal form - she bent to release a hidden floorboard, lodging it under her arm, she reached under to produce a long, slim sword sheathe, tucking it carefully within her belt. After all, one could never be too careful in such times as the Sengoku Jidai.

Fondly, she rested her hand on the sword's hilt, proud of its unique beauty, and inextricable detail. She had ordered it forged herself. She smiled, remembering the circumstances:

On one of her father's regular visits to Toutousai, the famous forger of Tessaiga and Tenseiga, a weapon master in all perspectives, ergo a reluctant one, the young part-demon had accompanied her impatient hanyou father. Once again, he had gone to complain about Tessaiga's condition – undoubtedly another scratch a sharp demon claw had inflicted on the blade - received with many tuts, frowns, and curses by the old man.

Eventually, after much harassment, and many ear-grating 'thunks' of fist on skull, the old sword smith reluctantly agreed to repair the blade on the condition InuYasha left him in 'rare peace'. Of course Toutousai was completely and blissfully unaware of the seven-year-old demon child, who stubbornly remained at the entrance of the cave.

It was to the sword smith's great surprise when a youthful demanding voice spoke up abruptly, causing him to drop the heavy sword in shock and resulting in an unpleasant 'clang' echoing off the rocky walls of the cave.

"Make me a sword!" Mayumi had shouted demandingly, an inheritant fire shining in her eyes, much like her father's before her, as she glared up at the sword maker, stepping forward with toddling steps to tug on his worn, burnt, and hole-ridden robe.

Toutousai chuckled, throwing his head back with mirth, unable to take the small girl seriously. "A sword? For a pipsqueak like you? Anyone would think you were the great dog demon-lord himself!" He took a closer glance at the girl, still chortling at her bravery. His eyes fell upon her pointy dark blue dog ears. "Wait a minute!" He cried, eyes widening in shock, "you're…"

"-Mayumi! Make me a sword, old man!"

The aged demon shook his head in disbelief, running an incredulous hand through his hair, and sending an incredulous glance at his three-eyed cow-demon companion. As if InuYasha hadn't been enough, now he had his daughter on his front doorstep. He shook his head again.

"I'm sorry, but you're just too young. You're not even a full demon."

A long pause fell awkwardly on the air, as her burning eyes fixed firmly upon him, refusing to shift. Toutousai barely had chance to react before the little part-demon girl leapt up from the ground with astounding speed and hit the old man directly on top of his head, resulting immediately in a large bump.

Scowling, Toutousai turned to her.

"Alright, alright, I'll make you a sword already, now get out!" He shooed the unconvinced girl out the door, adding "Just like her father. Ungrateful whelp –"

Another lump suddenly appeared on the top of Toutousai's head, and without another word, Mayumi settled herself back on the floor next to the fire, preparing herself to watch as the old man began his work, ignoring his protests and demands for her to leave.

Pulling on her miko clothing over her thin yukata, Mayumi smoothed the white haori and red hakama free of creases, then skilfully hooked her bow and quiver over her shoulder.

Much like her mother before her, she was a skilled archer as Kaede had once complimented her. Her demon sword, Tsukaiga, on the other hand, was only much use with her demonic strength. The sword was slim and light, ideal for deadly, lightning fast attacks, such as a swift strike through the ribs, finishing an opponent in mere moments and avoiding a direct confrontation of strength.

Touching the hilt once more for reassurance, Mayumi looked back once, checking her room was in order, before exiting through the shoji and into the biting night air.

Barefoot, she padded quietly across the crisp dull grass, spreading the moon's glistening tears on the earth beneath her feet. The moon hung ominously in the sky, casting a ghostly, eerie glow upon all which it touched, like a shadow of the sun, with a mere fraction of its light. So much like her: a shadow of a demon, with barely a fraction of a true youkai's power. She sighed softly.

She sniffed the air a moment, forgetting her lack of demonic powers, and inability to smell anything but the sharp tang of night.

Guessing from the moon's position, it was drawing close to midnight, the large eye-like orb seemingly drifting at a precisely even point between the direction of the ox-tiger, and the opposite horizon. When it disappeared, the sun would rise once more over the valley, bathing it in an unmatchable beauty. Dew would coat the greenery like tiny diamonds, sparkling in the young sun, and all would be peaceful until the villagers rose.

Blinking once, Mayumi turned from the gentle valley, to continue along the barely visible village path. It was one she had not travelled along for a while, and it could not hurt to explore it once more. Either way, she had nothing better to do than lie in bed worrying.

Resting her hand on her quiver - prepared to shoot an arrow at any hostile demon that may be lurking, invisible, in the undergrowth - she ploughed on through the grass.

Eventually, the path split two ways. It was obvious now that it had remained unused by anyone for a fair time, either human or demon. It was barely distinguishable from the grass surrounding it apart from a narrow gulley of grey through the overwhelming dark green. She thanked the moon for the light it provided in such darkness; otherwise her feeble human senses would be completely baffled by the lack of illumination.

She chose the path on the left. Like a single, jade-green stream, it wove through the sea of silver-tipped grass, flowing back and forth like the tide in a gentle breeze.

Mayumi did not glance back to notice that she had ventured outside of the village outskirts as it faded out of sight, enveloped by the all-consuming darkness. Nor that the path she followed grew steadily darker, and was awash with the pungent scent of evil. Nor that in this particular area, there were less animals and living creatures than any other part of the surrounding forest-land.

A slight tingle made its way down her spine, but forgoing it for another one of her human impulses, she continued doggedly on her way, not without wishing her sharp demon senses would return.

The path led on over a gently-sloped hill and into a shallow valley where a small river ran, a silver thread of silk like that of a spider starting to spin a web. Once again the land began to rise; the path she followed finally converging with another at the foot of a decrepit, long-abandoned crevice, concealed carefully within a mossy outcrop beside the stream.

Peering closer, curiosity overcoming common sense, Mayumi squinted.

The moonlight had left the large gap in the rock untouched. The vast abyss of its entrance seemed to swallow the light whole, not allowing it to pass any further than the entrance. As she drew closer, she swiftly realised it was no outcrop, but a cave.

No mistake now. An evil aura surrounded the cave. And it was no weak evil aura at that. Strange that she had not noticed it, neither the cave before. Dropping the bow from her arm, she nocked an arrow before drawing closer, but with every step she took came a deeper sense of foreboding.

As a miko, it was her job to remove any threats from the vicinity, she countered.

For a moment, Myoga's words echoed in her ears. Demons stirring in the north. Strong demons.

Shivering slightly, the miko girl swiftly brushed off her fear. In all fleeting eighteen years of her life, she could not remember sensing such a dangerous aura, yet she could not afford to let whatever foul creature that produced it escape.

Her chest thrummed faster, and she raised a hand to her heart, wishing she could clutch at it to stop, but still it pounded. Again raising the arrow to the bow, she slowly crept towards the cave, preparing for an attack at any moment.

Once at the entrance, she paused, knowing that any demon inside would easily be able to see her form, highlighted by the moon's soft rays. Midnight. She could tell that the full moon was directly above her in the sky.

The silver globe watched lazily down on the scene below, scattering its gleaming rays upon everything in its sight. The cave appeared to glitter silver in the night, while the girl, standing bold before its mouth, waiting to be swallowed, seemed consumed by shadow.

Stealthily, she entered the void.

Footsteps echoed on the dank floor. The cave stank of old, rotten plants and dead things, the air stagnant with age-old damp. A dark shape, perhaps a bat, whooshed past her, startling her slightly as she aimed her bow at it before relaxing.

Nothing moved.

Holding her breath, partially to avoid inhaling the disgusting stench, and partially to muffle the loud sound of her heavy breaths, Mayumi tiptoed forward. She could not sense any particular demons, only a distinctly wicked presence, threatening to envelop her purity with its dark, tainted depths.

Gripping her bow tighter, and pulling the arrow further back by a marginal amount with her right hand, the young miko continued to scrutinize the cave, moving like a hunted cat, with careful, graceful movements.

Having made a complete circle around the cave, she still did not relax her muscles. Something was wrong here. Incredibly wrong. No demons were in sight, but she felt as though something was waiting for her to relax so it could devour her in an instant.

She stopped suddenly. Something shone, reflecting the moonlight like a sword blade and blazing the blinding beams back into her eyes.

She retreated slightly. The object lay on the ground, no bigger than her two hands placed one above the other, yet dull in the cave's shadow.

It could be a trap.

Then again… she took a step towards it, keeping her bowstring drawn tightly …it might not. Cautiously, she edged closer, eyes flashing from side to side, prepared to shoot at the slightest sign of movement.

Eventually, she drew close enough to touch the shining object with her sandaled foot. It was several sword-lengths from the mouth of the cave, just far enough to reflect the moon from a certain angle, but not enough to be visible from the outside or back of the cave.

Plucking up enough courage, and aiming her bow at the object itself, Mayumi gently nudged it with her foot. Nothing. Cold steel. It was only… a sword hilt?

A strange place to find such a thing. She almost laughed at her unnecessary caution. No doubt some of the village children used this as a location to practice their sword skills.

Remaining cautious though, for all her folly, Mayumi swiftly bent down to clasp the old hilt within her fingers, checking it for any signs of perhaps demonic origin. Her fingers gently felt along the handle, shallow carvings engraved into it, though all covered with a thick layer of rust. It had obviously remained there for a very long time.

Tracing fleeting fingers over it once more, Mayumi moved out towards the cave mouth to inspect it better in the light, holding the strange sword-less steel in front of her. It was a demon sword.

Her eyes widened.

It must have been a trap all along, how foolish of her.

The steel suddenly began to warm in her hand - unnaturally, then suddenly, searing hot - burning her hand like a sword fresh from the forge. Prickles flew up her arms, causing her hair to stand on end. Her bow dropped to the floor, forgotten, as pain scorched the flesh from her hand.

She could not let go.

The steel stuck like glue to the miko's fingers, its demonic powers far from vanquished.

The demonic aura stirred.

With a final pulse of fire spreading up her arm, the sword hilt finally dropped to the floor, its work done, and a blade, blacker than night itself, embedded with swirls of white and red, briefly flickered into existence before fading once again into nothing. The sword vanished in a whirl of shadow.

Terrified, the miko found herself incapable of moving. As if under a spell, her legs were frozen to the floor, and she shuddered in terror as she sensed the demonic energies gathering.

Dark clouds of noxious air surrounded her. Midnight blue - no, dark purple and black - it smothered her like the arms of some great creature, wrapping itself around her body, binding her in place.

The shadow swirled and pulsed, originating from a large spiral some ten sword-lengths in front of her.

The venomous atmosphere choked her, forcing the miko to her knees as it invaded her lungs with a deadly poison. If only she were in her part-demon form she could stand it. As a human, it was fatal.

Slowly the demonic gases converged, collecting in that same point in the middle of the cave, just above a barely-visible scar in the earth which quickly disappeared, enveloped by the overwhelming black-purple smoke-like substance.

A pale limb reached out of the gas. A hand, bleached-bone white, and thin as a skeleton's.

Mayumi raised her head weakly, the demonic energies swirling around inside her head, her whole body aching, no, screaming with the pain and begging for death to just claim her. Oh, what a fool she was for ever having come here.

The energy united, no longer an overpowering presence, but now gifted with a human-shaped form. Demonic energy seeped from it like liquid from the mouth of a waterfall.

An arm followed the skeletal hand, just as thin and white, but before her very eyes, the corpse-like limbs seemed to absorb the darkness, fusing with it to become one in the most horrifying convergence of evils.

The hand slowly flexed, growing stronger, less translucent and more substance-like than the gas it had been only moments before. The spider-like appendage was joined by another, then a torso, and legs, just as deathly sallow as the rest of the demon-creature, melding out of the darkness, separating, extracting itself from it.

Swirling black tendrils, darker than the night itself fanned across the demon's face as Mayumi struggled for awareness. Her vision tilted from one side to the other, her body threatening to fall into unconsciousness.

Chuckles; malevolent and triumphant echoed out of the cloud of darkness, rebounding eerily off the cave walls, and amplifying in volume until her head rang with the sound. Coughing desperately, her throat burning as she fought the temptation to wretch, Mayumi reached for her bow. Her limbs shook like leaves in a storm, her arms heavier than lead.

Using all the strength she had, she inched her hand towards the fallen arrow. Another wracking cough rattled her body, stabbing pain in her lungs like a knife as the venom infected her system. Slowly, so slowly, she reached up to nock the fallen arrow, balancing it between quivering fingers, pulling back the string with the very last reserves of her strength.

The demon glanced down. Its face revealed for a brief instant, turning from gloating triumph to a shocked fury. An arrow aglow with sacred energies darted towards the darkness, piercing through it like a sword through a river. It separated the substance for a brief instant before the light diminished, enveloped by the overpowering all-consuming current. The unbreakable tide of evil.

The bowstring snapped, and with it, Mayumi's body fell limply to the ground. Her attempt at purifying the epitome of evil no more effective than a thorn upon the rump of a dragon.

Red eyes pierced through the choking miasma. Slim eyebrows rose mockingly. Another chuckle ran out through the cave like a rumble of thunder. Lips curved into a cunning smile. Darkness finally devoured the mind of the young miko girl.

Surrendering to the pain, Mayumi closed her eyes, helpless. There was nothing more she could do. Her head hit the floor as one last thought had chance to swiftly fleet across her mind.

Her nightmare was no longer a nightmare. Her nightmare was reality.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. This is quite new to me, and, may I please say, there is no way I want my character to seem like a Mary Sue. Mayumi is intended only to be InuYasha and Kagome's daughter… not mine, lol. Please tell me if what you think of the story so far. Have started on the next chapter. I plan to take the relationship between Naraku & Mayumi slowly, as I don't think Naraku's one for just suddenly deciding he loves someone. Killing them? Yes. Loving them? No.

The chapters will contain points of view from Mayumi's side (always, in every chapter), maybe a bit of Naraku's (occasional, very occasional), InuYasha's little group, possibly Sesshomaru's side of things, and Shippou's going to compile a little rescue team too. I honestly find him quite annoying, but I plan to make him less so, and more mature in my story.

Other characters will pop up again, somehow or another. And Naraku's evil plan shall slowly be unveiled…

Will try to update soon.