The Light Inside
Chapter Four: Metamorphosis
Pure white light shimmered around the shaft of the airborne arrow. I had concentrated my purifying power into the arrow. It was my hope the purification arrow would turn him into a human because he was a hanyou. All hanyous have a vulnerable period in which they briefly lose their powers and revert to a human state.
Even if I didn't know when Inuyasha became human, I could capitalize on his weakness since I'd be forcing the transformation. Yes, Inuyasha would probably be injured, yet the objective of keeping him with me would be accomplished. I could also take him to the village without fear of detection of his yokai blood.
The breath caught in my throat. My arrow penetrated his left shoulder, just above Kikyo's own arrow. The purification light spread beyond my arrow to bathe Inuyasha's whole body. Unlike the last time, he wouldn't accept its invasion without a fight.
"You bitch!" Inuyasha exclaimed, wriggling around violently. "I'll kill you!"
No reply entered my lips. He wasn't a danger to me, so it was best not to provoke him further. I felt horrible enough for exacting something that must've been traitorous and painful. In his eyes, I was little better than Kikyo. Nevertheless, I was willing to take the risk, for he would understand my reasoning later on.
Looking away, I waited for the hanyou's verbal threats and snarls to subside. As soon as this occurred, I hazarded a gander at Inuyasha. Sleep had overcome him again, but his physical appearance was considerably changed from the first bout of slumber. Gone were the indicators of his yoaki legacy to be replaced by ordinary human traits. Most striking were his now black hair and small, rounded ears set on the sides of his face.
Speed was my guide thereafter. I wasted no time in drawing near the sacred tree, standing on tiptoe, and pulling out both arrows, which dematerialized and disappeared into thin air. With nothing to hold him to the tree any longer, Inuyasha's body tumbled to the ground. Blood seeped out of a small hole in his chest and a gash in his right shoulder. Evidently, these wounds corresponded to the spots where Kikyo and me had shot him.
Inuyasha appeared so pitiful and downtrodden. I had to move quickly to secure him. Ripping off a long piece of cloth from the wide sleeve of my kimono shirt, I pulled back his hitai and a white kosode hidden underneath to expose his torso. I snuggly fastened the cloth across his injuries as a temporary bandage before slipping back on his hitoe and kosode. Although being slight of build didn't help matters, I was fortunately able to still lift him up and over my shoulder to carry him to the village.
A plausible lie soon leaped from my mouth to the ears of the villagers. Inuyasha was a young man I had found in the forest unconscious. Judging from the nature of his wounds, he must've been the victim of a bandit attack. I would nurse him back to health to the best of my ability.
Consciousness didn't return to Inuyasha for four whole days. All I could do is what I had been taught as a miko to do for those hurt and under my care. First, I crudely stitched his wounds shut. Then I collected herbs for poultices to give relief of inflammation and pain. I frequently cleaned his wounds and changed his bandages.
Interspersed among my treatment were fervent prayers. Anxiety had continually stabbed at me like a knife. Why was he taking so long to awaken? Had I done the wrong thing? In spite of second-guessing myself, I was most careful not to reveal my innermost emotions to others. I had to make it appear as if his survival was of no particular importance to me.
At sunset of the fourth day, Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered open. I happened to be present, finishing up the mending on my torn kimono shirt and preparing a cooking pot of rice over a small fire. The shirt promptly crumbled to the floor, forgotten. Tears of relief moistened my one good eye. However, I quickly wiped them away, for I wanted to be sure to stay vigilant.
The hanyou struggled to sit up, knocking off the blanket I had covered him with. He moaned quietly and started at the dressings on his unclothed chest. Catching me in his line of sight, Inuyasha's demeanor instantly soured even more.
"What have you done to me, brat?" he snapped.
"I shot you with a purification arrow to turn you human," I stated matter-of-factly. "It was the only way I could keep you with me."
Oddly, Inuyasha seemed unnerved by my words. "What nonsense are you babbling about now? Why didn't you just finish the job Kikyo started?"
"I need you to help me ascertain the truth behind my sister's death."
Now Inuyasha was thoroughly taken aback. "You don't believe I killed your sister?"
"Not anymore."
I studied Inuyasha with a sense of apprehension. Nevertheless, I couldn't discern much from the neutral air he'd currently adopted. He most likely was on his guard again after the upset I had caused.
Switching my attention from him to the cooking pot, I offered, "If you're hungry, I have some rice for you."
He nodded affirmatively, and I scooped out a portion into a bowl. Ceremony apparently wasn't squandered on Inuyasha because the hanyou didn't bother with chopsticks. Instead, he gobbled down the food with his bare hands. In seconds, I joined Inuyasha, clutching a bowl of my own. I began to eat daintily with a pair of chopsticks.
"So what changed your mind about me?" he at last queried slowly.
It was not merely a conversational question, though. This was my opportunity to cement the partnership I sought between us. He wanted answers, same as me. I hoped working together would be the conclusion he would reach, too.
"Tell me why you went to meet my sister the day she died," I requested.