The sun rose like a firey rune in the sky, throwing a deep red glow over everything, that lightened to a deep burnished gold the higher up one looked. It made the sky look as if it had been heated in a forge.
Kagome finished a box of apple juice, crinkling up the cardboard box and putting it in a plastic bag.
It was hard, having to be so careful in this time. Her mother had been working with archaeologists for a while, and Kagome had learned from her all about how they could age things found in the ground depending on what level of dirt they were found in. The father back in time one went, the older it was.
And Kagome didn't want any archaeologists to suddenly find an apple juice container dating to the Feudal Era.
Everything she bought had to be easily broken down in soil, or else it was dragged back to her time to be disposed of. Soaps she bought were always biodegradable. Sometimes she had to travel clear across the city just to get something simple, but she had to be so careful.
Besides...this era was so beautiful. So clean. You could drink straight from rivers or streams. How many places left in the world could boast that? InuYasha and her friends sometimes found her a little strange, when she insisted of bringing back every tiny scrap of tinfoil or plastic. Or if she saw some metal that belonged to that era, say a sword that had fallen into a river, she would take time out to remove it, pull it back from any water source where it would rust faster, and perhaps taint the water.
Kagome pulled her legs up to her knees, and wrapped her arms around her legs, looking up at the sky again.
So red.
"Have you heard the saying, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning", DarkWind?"
The Kageri was hovering a few feet off the ground behind Kagome. He was sitting indian-style, legs crossed, his butt about 3 feet over the grass. Kagome had gotten tired of asking him to sit on the ground and had given up. It was one of DarkWind's ways.
It still sort of creeped her out a little, though.
"I cannot say I have, Nushi, although I understand the lore behind it. One of my previous masters did a great deal of sailing. If the sky is red at night, it means a storm is coming, but will blow itself out, and pass the next day. If the sky is red in the morning, however, a storm is still in the air, and the waves will be very rough."
Kagome looked over her shoulder at him, and smiled, "That's right."
DarkWind smiled back at her. Kagome watched the Kageri curiously. He was still an amazement to her. Looking quite a lot like Bankotsu, only a little older, and a little more...handsome, he was bound to her by their link, a fine silver chain they each word on their wrist. Kagome looked back up at the sky.
DarkWind popped the last bite of a muffin in his mouth, chewing, watching her.
The Kageri was feeling Kagome's happiness. Everything was right with the world again.
He had returned late last evening, to have Kagome tell him all about what had happened to both her and InuYasha-Warrior.
He had been so proud.
His Nushi had succeeded in handling the Shikon properly.
"That is wonderful, Nushi!" he had cried, as she smiled up at him, "You doubted yourself, but as you can see, it was unfounded. With just a little more training, you will be able to use it with very few or no ill-effects."
Kagome had blushed under his praise, beaming. DarkWind smiled softly at her, "You must learn to believe in yourself more, Nushi. You have abilities you do not understand yet. I believe most strongly there is nothing you cannot do, if you set your heart to it."
He had been so happy to hear that Miroku-Monk was, in fact, a monk again. The monk seemed happier now, more himself. While his attention to Sango-Beauty was very obvious, it was still the same Miroku who joked and laughed and made everyone feel better.
DarkWind hadn't been surprised to sense Kagome awaken so early this morning, assuming she had wanted to get right back into training so swiftly. But she was obviously showing no sign of this. She had gone outside to eat breakfast, not wanting to awaken anyone inside the hut by boiling water for tea. She sat down, and seemed more than willing to just sit there.
Well, no matter. Whatever his Nushi decided, he was game for.
"DarkWind...you said once that you would tell me some stories about your earlier masters."
"That is correct, Nushi. Would you like me to tell you some now?"
"Well...I was just wondering...I mean...most of your masters all had you for...war purposes, right?"
DarkWind watched her, "All my masters were conquerors, yes."
"So..you have a lot of experience with...you know..fighting and things."
DarkWind smiled, "You do not have to be uncomfortable saying it, Nushi. I was used by my masters to invade and conquer and destroy. It is what I do."
Kagome shook her head, "I hate saying they used you. It makes you sound like a hammer or something."
DarkWind spoke gently, "I am a weapon, Nushi, to be used as my master wishes."
"Anyway..." she changed the subject, "So...I mean...what was your day like back then?"
"My...day?"
"Yeah, you know, your...you woke up...and then what?"
DarkWind considered, "Well...Master Tatsuo, for instance. He was a powerful warlord. I would sense his wakening, and attend him. After he had eaten, he would look over his maps with his generals. Once they had made a decision on what they wanted to do, he would send me out to destroy some things for him. Dams, mills...barracks. I would level any thing that would offer resistance to him. Ballistas were my favourite. They always popped so enjoyably."
Kagome burst out laughing at the content look on the Kageri's face.
DarkWind smiled at her.
After she laughed, she spoke again, "You said...you said, when we first were bonded, that you had had other women masters too. Were they warlords and conquerors as well?"
"Oh yes. In fact, some of the most powerful and smart warlords I served were women." He seemed to consider, then spoke, "Women warriors tend to be more...focused than men, I have found. They do not gloat over their enemies as much as men do. They see an enemy as something to be removed, as if a burr on a weapon. Men, on the other hand, tend to see their enemies as personal enemies. They do not just want to remove them, but obliterate all existance of them.
I think it has something to do with a man's ego, perhaps."
Kagome smiled, "I think you're probably onto something there."
Kagome packed up some more things into the garbage bag, and DarkWind spoke, "Why do you ask me of my past Masters, Nushi?"
"I guess...I'm just thinking how odd you must find me."
"Oh no, Nushi," he said quickly, warmly, "I do not find you odd at all. You are a most wonderful master to me."
Kagome felt her face warm up, "I...I just mean because I'm not a warlord or anything. I just need to learn to master the Shikon."
"Well...that is true. At first I was confused as to why you were not asking me to start attacking villages and bringing you wealth. To be honest, I - " he suddenly broke off, and Kagome looked at him, startled to see the Kageri looking at his feet, his face red.
She blinked again, "DarkWind."
He looked at her, a little miserably, but Kagome smiled, "It's ok, DarkWind, you know you can tell me anything."
"I...when first we bonded, I thought...that I had been given to a master who was mad."
Kagome blinked again, and started to laugh.
"I am most sorry, Nushi-."
"No, no, it's ok. I just...I can just see you thinking your master was nuts. Oh poor DarkWind."
He hesitantly smiled, and relaxed when he saw Kagome wasn't offended in the least.
"So, out of your masters, then," Kagome started to tie the garbage bag shut, "Who would you say was your favourite?"
DarkWind's answer was immediate, "You."
Kagome looked back, startled. DarkWind was watching her innocently, openly.
He probably says that to all his masters. He said that part of the bond enforces affection between his masters and himself...
"No, I meant...you know...your favourite. Like, going all the way back to the beginning."
"You, Nushi."
"DarkWind..."
He smiled, "You treat me differently than all the other masters I have ever had. You concern yourself with my comfort, my emotions. You ask things of me, instead of demanding, ordering. You have openly expressed interest in my past. You encouraged my absense from you in that I may have time to myself, Nushi, you have no idea how...unheard of that is."
"Well, I...it's not right to treat you like a thing." she kept her eyes on her feet. The Kageri's eyes were very intense, "You're a person, not a...a...thing." she finished lamely.
DarkWind watched her for a second, then spoke softly, "Nushi, may I ask you something?"
Kagome tried to look busy, "Of course, what is it?"
"I know that Lady Izumi showed you my past. Of my origins. She showed all of you. You mentioned once to me that you knew about the Spire. But you said nothing else. Are you...are you not...upset by what happened there?"
Kagome lifted her head, looking at him in confusion, "Upset? Why would I be upset? It was so sad, DarkWind. I'm sorry you lost your mother...or...creator...and the whole Spire...that you had no choice but become a Kageri..."
"My...turning...did not upset you?"
"Why...why would it?"
The Kageri looked uneasy, "I had thought...I had never told any of my other masters the story of my life, for fear they would turn from me. Cast me out."
"What are you talking about?"
DarkWind raised his hand, the one that held the fine silver chain that symbolized the bond between Kagome and himself, "I had been so powerful once. I am the Eldest and the Youngest of my kind. Of all the Children, I had the most power. And then I was...chained."
Kagome spoke softly, "Your creator had to choice. If she hadn't put those bonds on you, you would have been forced to stay there, most likely, and been killed. It must have been so hard for you, to suddenly be...bound like that."
DarkWind lowered his hand, sighing gently.
"True people, DarkWind, won't care about your past. Only what you do in the present."
He looked at her, and smiled softly. He startled her by reaching out and taking her hand, "You are most kind to me, Nushi." He suddenly blinked, looking at her hand, "Nushi, your hands are cold." He started chafing them softly.
Kagome blushed, watching him. The exotic DarkWind's hair was unbelievably black, his long braid hanging loosely over a shoulder. She suddenly wanted to reach out and take it in her hands, to see if it was as silky and strong as it looked.
DarkWind looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers.
"If you wish, Nushi," he said softly.
His eyes were so dark...
"Hey!"
Kagome blinking, looking up to see InuYasha walking towards them. His arms were crossed, and she could see already he was angry. She pulled her hand away from DarkWind's, and smiled at him, "Good morning, InuYasha!"
InuYasha glared at DarkWind, before looking back to her, "Why did you two sneak off like that?"
Kagome mentally sighed, but forced herself to talk calmly, "We didn't sneak off, we're sitting here in full view of the entire village. And I got up and came out here to eat. Everyone was still sleeping."
InuYasha said nothing, having nothing to say to her simple comment.
Kagome decided to steer the conversation away from the Kageri, "Are you hungry, do you want anything to eat?"
Looking put-out, InuYasha sat beside Kagome, and started rummaging in the backpack for something edible, "You two going to start practicing with the Shikon today?"
"Not today," Kagome answered.
InuYasha pulled out a bag of something and peered at it, "Why not?"
"I...think...I should rest." Kagome said a little lamely.
InuYasha and DarkWind both looked at her, the hanyou a little concerned, the Kageri a little confused.
"You're still tired?" InuYasha asked.
"A..little...yeah," she said trying to laugh it away.
DarkWind frowned slightly. He was getting no sense that Kagome was tired. If anything, her experience with the Shikon had bouyed her up, made her feel wonderful. She slept deeply, and woke well rested.
Well, a Kageri certainly wasn't going to contradict his master, so he kept quiet.
InuYasha watched her for a second longer, "Well, take it easy then, ok?"
"I will," she smiled.
InuYasha smiled back, and went back to rummaging around.
"Oh, good morning!"
Kagome turned to see three young ladies walking towards them as they moved on the path leading out of the village. One of them was the lovely hanyou woman Kagome and InuYasha had spoken to a while back. Her skin was pale blue, and her her hair green. Instead of ears, she had soft little feathery-looking gills. Her eyes were a lovely luminous green. With her were two other young ladies. One had red hair almost the color of InuYasha's haori, and orange eyes. Two little curled horns sprouted from her head, angling backwards. Ribbons and baubles were hanging from them. The third appeared to be a normal human, with long black hair, dark eyes, and wearing a rather pale robe. Kagome knew the young blue lady was a hanyou, like InuYasha, but she had no idea if the one with the red hair was demon or hanyou. For all she knew, the human-looking one might be demon or hanyou as well.
She loved it here. Appearance meant nothing.
"Good morning, you're Chichiko, aren't you?" Kagome asked.
"That's right!" Chichiko seemed happy Kagome remembered her, "These are my friends, Kantai" - she motioned to the red-haired woman - "and Chio" - here she pointed to the human-looking one.
"We're heading out to look for some flowers," Chio said, in a very soft, quiet voice, "The elders like them in their houses."
"I saw some the other day," Kagome said, pointing back along the path, "Before you get to the river there."
"Thanks!" grinned Kantai.
"Good morning, InuYasha," Chichiko said softly, peering at InuYasha, who up until this point had still been looking for something to eat. He blinked up at her, a bag of something in his mouth, just now realizing they had company. He mumbled something before realizing his mouth was occupied. Yanking the bag out of his mouth, he tried again, "Oh hey, how are you?"
"I'm good, thank you," Chichiko said quietly, and Kagome was startled to see the young woman was blushing very slightly. It turned her cheeks a lovely shade of lavender. "It was very kind of you and Miroku to dig that well for us a while back."
InuYasha tore into a bag of dried fruit pieces, "Eh. It wasn't hard. Sorry we couldn't have made it any deeper though. We hit rock about 6 feet down."
"That's fine," Chichiko hurried to assure the rather oblivious hanyou, "It was a very big help. Even that much deeper gave us more water for the village. You made it seem so easy. It was...it was very kind."
InuYasha shrugged slightly, "S'fine." His eyes were on the food.
"Come on, Chichiko!" Kantai complained, grabbing the other woman by the arm, "The eldest want those flowers before they go to seed!"
"Oh, yes, of course. Good bye Kagome, DarkWind. InuYasha."
Kagome and DarkWind gave the three young women a wave, InuYasha was too interested in eating.
Kagome watched as the three young women started along the path again. She saw Chichiko peer back at them over her shoulder...peer back at InuYasha. The other women said something, and started to giggle. Chichiko blushed brightly, hurriedly looked ahead, and kept walking.
Kagome blinked.
~Nushi? Is something the matter?~
~I think maybe Chichiko has something for InuYasha.~
~Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise. InuYasha-Warrior is handsome, after all. Striking in appearance...wouldn't you say?~
Kagome looked at InuYasha, who had finished the fruit, and was now working on something else.
~Yeah...he is. Very striking, with that hair and those eyes...~
She was suddenly taken back to a few nights ago, in the cave, when she had awoken on his lap, his arms around her. It had been so nice, and warm...
DarkWind's voice came to her, ~His eyes are most expressive, are they not? I imagine it's hard for InuYasha-Warrior to hide anything, especially from you.~
They were expressive...and sometimes, they could be so warm...
Kagome suddenly pulled back from her thoughts, almost violently. She turned, and gave DarkWind such a hard glare, the Kageri seemed to wither.
~What do you think you're doing?!~
~Doing? Nushi, I am merely talking to you, of course. You said-~
~Stop it.~
Kagome's mental voice was so sharp, DarkWind faltered. He blinked at her, alarmed.
~Nushi, I just-~
~I know what you 'just', and I want you to stop it. Now.~
Suddenly feeling miserable, DarkWind nodded, contrite, ~Yes, Nushi, of course. Forgive me.~
InuYasha happened to glance up at that moment, and blinked at Kagome, who was glaring across the path into the forest as if she could kill someone with her eyes alone. InuYasha looked across the path, saw nothing, then back to her, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"What? Oh..nothing."
"Don't give me that, you look like you want to bite someone. What's wrong?"
"I said nothing, let it go."
He frowned, "What's your problem?"
Kagome glared at him, "Do you want me to "sit" you six feet under!?"
InuYasha blinked, and leaned back, hands out, "Alright, alright, sorry! I only asked!"
Kagome sighed, passing a hand over her face, "Sorry, I'm sorry. Is there anything else you want to eat? I could go back into the hut-"
"No, this is fine," InuYasha glanced at her warily. He wouldn't have asked for anything now if he were starving to death.
His confusion only grew greater when he glanced at DarkWind, and saw the Kageri looking unhappily at his feet. Something had obviously happened between them. He cursed the fact they could talk mentally to each other...
...but the look Kagome had given DarkWind only made InuYasha feel better.
The day passed simply, InuYasha and the others were trying to decide what their next course of action should be. Once the Shikon had been completed, their need to wander about suddenly stopped. Then they learned of the Twilight War, and Keimetsu. For a while, they had been busy simply trying to stem the damage these things had created, and were kept busy that way. Now things seemed oddly slow, and no one really knew what to do.
InuYasha's opinion was that they should go hunting around, try to find the other Shadelings now, and take them out. Now that the SolarFlare was there within his reach, he was more than eager to get out there and kill every last one of them.
He sat in the shade of a tree, looking down at the sheathed Tetsusaiga, although he wasn't seeing it. Instead, he was lost in thought.
I swore I'd get Neith for what he did to us. To me. And I did. He's dead.
He felt a powerful, almost savage glee that he had finally rid the world of the Shadeling that had brought so much misery to himself and his friends.
He made me believe I was alone. That my friends had abandoned me.
He made Kagome think she was crazy, living in a house for insane people, where she was being tortured- his hand tightened on the scabbard of the Tetsusaiga - Made Miroku think we had all been slain, that his attempt to keep my hanyou secret safe had in fact gotten me killed. That our souls were wandering on the other side, lost.
Made Sango think she was alone. Her father was alive, and thought she had become possessed by a demon. He was going to kill her.
InuYasha clenched his jaw.
Kagome and Miroku were going to kill themselves. Kagome to be free of that insane place. Miroku, to try and save us from a fate worse than death. Sango was going to let her father burn her alive because she couldn't go on with us as enemies...even Shippo had thought we were all dead, and was alone. He was going to let me kill him so he could join us.
InuYasha made a fist, I thought it would feel different though. I'm glad I got the bastard, glad I killed him. But I had wanted to...make him pay for it. Really make him regret what he did.
But the fight had been too fast. It had been all over too soon.
He sighed. Maybe it was for the best anyway. Miroku was always saying living only for revenge ruined you inside. It turned you into a monster.
He suddenly remembered seeing himself in Neith's alternate world, with the power Neith had offered him. He had been a Shogun. A warlord. He had had everything.
Except them.
The image of the broken Hiraikotsu, in the pile of mangled bodies and weapons.
InuYasha muttered a curse, and stood up.
The bastard is dead, and he's still pushing my buttons. Damnit!
Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned to see Kagome walking along the path leaving the village. DarkWind was walking with her, slightly behind her. He had just been thinking maybe he would go search her out...sometimes talking to Kagome put his thoughts in order better.
Sometimes...just being near her did.
Doesn't he ever leave her side?
He turned, starting to walk after them. He turned a corner, and bumped into someone, nearly taking them off their feet.
Hanyou reflexes responded, and he reached out, grabbing the person before they fell. He blinked to see Chichiko looking at him, rather startled. Two baskets lay at her feet, one was closed with a cloth tucked into it.
"Uh, sorry!" InuYasha let her arm go after helping her regain her balance, "Didn't hurt you, did I?"
Chichiko blushed brightly, shaking her head, "No, I'm ok. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just walked around the corner like that."
InuYasha bent and picked up the baskets, "You can't help walking. Here."
"Thank you," she said softly. She smiled up at him, her cheeks bright lavender where she blushed brightly, "Actually, I was looking for you."
InuYasha had been looking where Kagome and DarkWind had vanished down over a little hill. He knew where they were headed, towards the little area Kagome went to for target practice lately. Blinking, he looked down at the hanyou woman, "Me?"
"Yes. The healer of the village asked me to go and collect some red mushrooms. We're almost out, and they're very useful to have on hand. The tea helps people sleep, so it's very useful for sickness or stress. They have to be dried, and when they do, they shrink."
"Uh...ok," InuYasha nodded, not sure where this was going, or why she needed to tell him.
"The only place they grow is in a small valley that's about an hour from here. Kagome told me to come and find you, that you could escort me."
InuYasha blinked, "She said what?"
Chichiko suddenly looked uneasy, "Is...is that a problem? Oh dear, I shouldn't have asked, it's so forward of me. But Kagome said there were people outside the village...called Shades, and that I shouldn't go alone." She blushed brightly again, "Please, forgive me for asking, I-"
InuYasha tried to hide his annoyance. It wasn't Chichiko's fault Kagome hadn't bothered to mention this little fact to him. He glared in the direction he had last seen her. She could have at least told him she was volunteering him for something!
He sighed, "No, she's right. It's not safe."
"I...I wouldn't bother you," Chichiko said softly, "I'd ask someone else, but Kagome said you were the only one who could fight off the Shades."
InuYasha looked back to Chichiko, "She said that?"
Chichiko nodded, "She said there was no one I'd be safer with, than if I went with you."
InuYasha looked again towards where he had last seen Kagome, feeling a warmth settle inside him. She had said that?
Well...that was a bit better. It made sense that Kagome would ask him to go, if she were worried about the Shadelings...
Head swelled a little, he felt magnanimous towards the smaller woman, and nodded, "Alright. You lead."
Chichiko's face lit up, and she smiled sweetly, "Thank you, InuYasha, I really appreciate this."