I was sitting in a tree watching them. I had done this countless times. He was my charge. I had to.
At first it had been torment. I was a daiyoukai forced to take on charges and wath over hanyous and kids who couldn't look after themselves. But as I got to know the squirt I really learned to love him like a little brother.
I had helped some miko woman from some village take care of Izayoi, and when she died I had to take permanent protection duty of InuYasha.
I taught him to laugh at the insults and to parry the blows. Though he never told his friends of my existence, and I had a strange idea that he knew more than he let on, but he was so distracted these days, I just knew something was wrong.
I heard them bickering again. Like an old married couple. I sighed. I couldn't understand why he put up with her shit. I mean it's not like she would ever let him love her. She always rejected him, but I knew he would soon move on, he was close to cracking. At least then his eyes would be opened to the truth. If a girl keeps the man she loves on a string for too long then he's bound to move on sometime, but the naïve miko had no suspicions.
"Osawari!" I heard her shout. I cringed as I saw him slam into the ground. It took all my will power to suppress my youki. It hated the miko even more than me.
She stormed away and the others went after her, leaving InuYasha alone on the ground. I jumped down from my post and sat next to him on the ground. I scratched his head between his sensitive ears and felt him relax.
"Yashi. When are you going to stand up for yourself?" I asked quietly. His breathing was somewhat labored and this bothered me. I could smell blood, but when he lifted his head to look at me, he had a small cut on his forehead.
"I can't do that Niki." He said sadly. I cradled his head in my lap and let him lie like that for a while. I could sense his despair. This miko was killing him and I had to do something to stop it.
"You can do anything." I reminded him. Nothing was impossible.
He smiled sadly. "Maybe you're right Niki. I need to get away from here and from these people."
I rumpled his hair and smiled down at him. Why had I gotten so damn attached to this blasted little hanyou!?
He clasped his eyes and groaned slightly.
"Yashi. What's wrong?" I asked worried.
He shook his head. "Not now. Don't worry about it just yet." He answered.
"Soon?" I asked. I trusted his judgment. But I was still worried.
He nodded. "You know I can't keep secrets from you too long Nix." He teased.
"You filthy little hanyou!" I snarled playfully pulling him to his feet.
He started to giggle. It set me at rest. He was okay again, for now.
"Are you obliged to stay here tonight after that assault or shall you join me under the new moon?" I asked winking.
He smirked. He loved spending new moon with me. I didn't know why. "They can kiss my ass!" He exclaimed.
I led him to a cave I used to use when I was hiding in this part of the world. It was dank but hidden behind a waterfall, so we wouldn't be disturbed.
As the moon started to rise he turned human, that is when he gave in… to pain?!
"Does this have to wait? I'm really worried now." I protested as I watched him cringe at almost every movement.
"Niki. You'll freak out. Please." He begged.
"InuYasha! Damnit! I'll freak out if you don't tell me what's going on!" I said. I eyed me and came to sit in front of me.
He lifted his hair gingerly and I almost swallowed my tongue stud. The subdual beads had dug their way into his skin and was wedged in deep. The wound was inflamed, but not infected, but it looked exceptionally nasty.
"Yashi. How long?" I managed to ask.
He shrugged. "About two weeks that it's been this bad. Normally it chafed, but she went a little overboard one day and it cut me. Now she won't stop." He confessed.
"I'm gonna kill that fucking miko! And I'll strangle your mother for this." I snarled.
"No Niki. Please. She doesn't know. And neither did my mother." He pleaded.
"You have to show her Yashi. She'll kill you." I said sadly.
"I don't know if I can. She won't be able to handle it." He said.
I sighed. I swore silently that I would make that miko pay for every moment of pain she ever put him through.
"That thing will have to be cut out Yashi. I told you, you should have let me take it off ages ago."
He sighed. "And who is gonna cut it out? We can't go to Kaede and I told you that if it is gone they would suspect something. I couldn't face them like this."
"We'll figure something out babe." I said hugging him.
I brewed up a potion of sorts containing some very illegal medicines with modern era medicines. It was strong but he needed something strong if he had to deal with that bloody Kagome again tomorrow.
He fell asleep in my arms. I liked watching him sleep. I knew he was the closest I would ever come to his brother again. Such a love was forbidden in our world. We vowed, for our own good, to burry our love and hope we never meet again, in fear that it might rekindle those forbidden feelings.
The next morning he left early, back into the harsh, cold and heartless arms of Higurashi. Yes, I would kill her one day.
Never in my life did it occur to me that I would come to hate humans this much. It had been nearly a month that I had seen the vicious wound in InuYasha's neck, now I was beginning to grow impatient. He was in pain and there was nothing I could do about it unless that miko found out, and I didn't want to go against his wishes. Stupid hanyou who wound me around his pinky.
I followed at a safe distance, but I could see the pain was getting to him now; he was trailing behind the group and keeping quiet. He knew I was there. I would not leave him now. He knew me all too well for my own good.
"InuYasha!" Kagome called.
"What?" He asked.
"Don't walk so slowly. What's wrong with you? I only have this weekend! We haven't found one shard this whole vacation!" She snapped.
He walked faster. It was not like him not to put up a fight.
"Why are you so quiet?" The kit that traveled with them inquired.
"I don't feel well." InuYasha mused.
"What could possibly be wrong with you?! You're always so full of it! Why get all depressed now?" Higurashi snapped.
"What's your problem wench? Do you have PMS or something?" InuYasha snapped. More out of pain than anger.
The miko turned red. "Osawari! Where did you hear that!? How dare you?" She screamed.
My instinct lit up and my protection pendant gleamed. Normally a sign that InuYasha's life was in danger. It never did that when she employed the beads, so I knew something was wrong.
I did not hesitate. I swooped down from the treetops and landed next to him. The whole group stood with their weapons at the ready and demanded who the hell I am. I ignored them.
InuYasha slowly raised himself up on an elbow and stared at me with those golden eyes. "I can't take it anymore. I don't care if they know! Please just make it stop." He whispered hoarsely.
"What is he going on about?" Higurashi snapped.
I felt my youki flare and I had to suppress the urge to rip out her throat. I gently lifted InuYasha's hair from his neck and growled at the fucking wench. The wound was now enflamed quite badly and it was trickling blood down his back. Three of the teeth were embedded in his flesh and the beads were tracking a harsh and bloody red riff in his neck.
The miko's breath caught in her throat and the others fell silent.
"That's not possible!" The miko cried.
"And how do you expect it not be possible baka!? Do you always take such pleasure in the pain of others or do you particularly despise InuYasha?" I snarled.
"NO! I love him. How can you say that!?" She gasped through her tears.
"IF this is love. I'd much rather be despised." InuYasha breathed.
"Come Yashi. Let's leave these filthy fucking humans to their own devices. They've tortured you enough." I said as I helped him up and led him away from those people.
I took him to the only place I knew could help him without causing him undue pain. I took him to Sasha, the wolf lord. He was always willing to help and not at all judgmental about species or the mixing thereof.
Sasha let his best doctors go about removing the beads, which proved to be a painful procedure since they put him to sleep first. Since they were true youkai they could remove the beads with ease, and for the first time since he was six InuYasha woke up with no beads around his neck.
I had never seen him so at ease. I suppose we both were rather relieved.
A/N It suxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I don't know what to do with this story!! It's horrible! What gives? What's wrong with me? What do you think of it?