Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Chapter Four: Who Am I?
Disclaimer: I don't in any way, shape, or form, own any of the characters from InuYasha. The only character I own presently is Asharti.
Until this point, Asharti has fallen into the story of InuYasha and met some pretty weird people. As she struggles to come to grips with finding a way to return home she has decided to travel with Kagome's demon exterminating group.
Ash fell in at the back of the group as they set off, packs on back, for the mountains to the west. She was left mostly to herself because Kagome was in the lead with InuYasha discussing what kind of demon it might be and the possibility of a Shikon shard near the demon, Miroku was, as always, pestering Sango, and Shippou had decided to tag along with Kouga. Asharti jumped as she felt a nip on her neck.
"Ah the sweet taste of an innocent maiden…there is nothing like it in the world," a small high-pitched voice sighed in appreciation. "No….no…don't," it squeaked as Ash's hand swatted the speaker. Glancing at her palm, Ash saw a tiny insect. In fact, it looked a lot like a flea. Soon enough it perked right up and was hopping up and down in annoyance. "Why does everyone have to hit me? I have to eat too, don't I!"
"My apologies, little master," Ash adopted the more eloquent speech she usually reserved for formal occasions and her correspondences. "If I had known it was you, I would not have reacted so rashly. You are Myoga, are you not?"
The flea seemed pleased to be recognized, "I am," he agreed with a respectful bow and then a hop of excitement. "And you must be Lady Ash. I have heard InuYasha speak of you. I must say he was quite wrong. I find you refreshingly charming." The flea was wondering how InuYasha could be so mistaken by this point, but then he recalled that InuYasha wasn't particularly polite or thoughtful.
"Would you mind sharing your wisdom, Master Myoga? I would be grateful to have knowledge of the legends and demons hereabout. It would do me well to understand how to counter them should I ever fall into their path." She knew that she didn't know much about this world, and if she was going to be stuck in it, she'd rather have some idea of what she was up against. Myoga quickly launched into teaching a flicker of joy in his voice. InuYasha had never bothered to listen to the flea's advice unless it suited his purposes.
Thus distracted by Myoga, Asharti never noticed how late it was until the group stopped for the noonday meal. As she munched on the packed lunch Kaede had given them, she reviewed the legends and demons she had been told about. Hopefully she would never run into half of them, already she knew she would be having nightmares.
Feeling a twinge of unease, Ash glanced towards a grouping of trees and rose to her feet swiftly. A girl with ebony tresses and swirling magenta eyes was floating on a large white feather and she was watching them. "InuYasha," she called in warning, finally recognizing Kagura. But Kagura did not approach Kagome, which was to be expected since Kagome, after all, was the Shikon shard bearer; instead, she approached Asharti.
"Show yourself," she demanded of Asharti, eyes glaring their malice, directed, Ash suddenly knew, solely at her. "Show what you really are, wench! I would see what you are." Confused, Ash stared at her, strangely unafraid of her. "I don't understand," Asharti replied softly. "I am just as human as Kagome is. Why then would you ask me to show you what I am?"
Kagura's eyes widened in a rare show of shock as she asked, "You are unaware aren't you?" She smirked and then finally said with a wide, sweeping, magical gesture, "Awaken to what you really are, Asharti." She watched expectantly as Ash felt changes in her body. She felt stronger, faster, and sharper than she ever had before. Claws sprang from her hands, fangs growing among her normal human teeth, cat-like ears forming through her mound of hair and rising to peak in a silhouette of white above the golden-brown hue of the mane, and lastly, Ash's eyes changed shape slowly, elongating into delicately exotic cat-shaped eyes. "Hanyou," Kagura hissed at Asharti.
"No," Ash wailed as everything she had known in the past seemed to collapse. She had always known she was not like other children. Her mother had always told her that she was special, but this put a lie to many things. She understood part of how InuYasha felt now, except he had devoted himself to his demon half, while she had lived, blissfully unaware of her youkai blood. "It cannot be," she whispered, staring at her clawed hands as the claws retracted into her palms. She reached up to feel the snowy ears peeking out of her mane.
Kagura laughed wickedly as she rose in the air on her leaf. She tossed her midnight hair into the breeze she had created and said to Asharti, "Naraku waits for you, Lady Asharti. You will come. You must come. You are drawn to him like a moth to flame for you are his betrothed." A burning sensation crackled through the air as Ash's temper got the better of her, and with her newly released demon powers it wasn't wise of Kagura to taunt her.
"Cease," her voice rang out loudly and froze everything in place for several seconds. "You can tell your master that I will never come to him. I will be his when hell freezes over in the lowest of its depths."
Kagura stared at Ash hiding her surprise. If Naraku had chosen her, she would have snapped his offer up in a heartbeat. But for some reason he had chosen this hanyou who did not appreciate the gift of his protection. He would not have chosen her without some very good reasons, Kagura finally decided, but because she could not leave without knowing for herself why, she asked, "Why are you not honored by the gift my master offers you?"
"Offers? Naraku does not offer; he demands. Human, youkai, or hanyou, I will not obey him. I will never willingly go to Naraku, nor accept any gifts, visits, or even messages from him. I am happy by myself."
Kagura thought that over, then drifted off on her wind currents, supposedly to report to Naraku about this latest development and to mull over the thought provoking answers the hanyou had given. The group took Asharti's transformation in stride; Myoga claiming he had known the whole time, Shippou chattering excitedly about the fun he and Ash could have now and the rest mostly silent, in likelihood thinking about this turn of events. Ash herself troubled over her newly revealed past and the possibility of youkai surviving to the modern world. Most of her thoughts centered around one word. 'Hanyou.'
Author's Note: Someone has kindly brought to my attention that sama is restricted to males. As I have used it twice in reference to Kaede-san and Kagome-san, allow me to express my apologies and to assure you that the error has been fixed and will not be repeated. Yours, Ash.
