I do not own InuYasha
...just in case you couldn't figure that out by this point...
After walking for nearly the whole day, we finally came to rest by a stream. We set up our camp in a wide clearing, littered with rocks and a few scattered trees. The sun shone brightly above our heads, yet I am certain we stopped so early because Naraku is concerned for my health. As Kohaku patrolled the perimeter of our campsite, making sure no intruders disturbed our peace, I made my way over to the stream to cool my aching legs. I could not risk lifting up my kimono at all, instead, I just plunged my legs, still hidden under the kimono, into the lake. It was a soothing feeling. Under the coolness of the water, I could feel my aching legs relax, numbing from the cool water.
I leaned my back against a nearby rock while I soaked my legs, trying my best to relax. It was true that I was exhausted. Of course, I have walked further distances before, but i always took short breaks every hour or so. As I tried to rest, I could sense silent footsteps creeping behind me.
"How are you faring, Kitsauma?" A voice asked from behind me. I looked up to see Naraku, wrapped in his baboon cloak, standing over me.
"I am fine, Master Naraku." I lowered my gaze back down to the stream.
Naraku seated himself next to me. Reaching within his cloak, he pulled out a shard of the shikkon jewel. Not just any shard, my old one. It was glowing a light blue, as opposed to the normal, deep red that those Naraku possesses usually do.
"I have been meaning to ask you about your shard for some time." He held it up to the light, examining it from many angles. "As I noticed before, this shard has been tainted with sorrow. Is this your doing?" He turned his head to look at me.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I nodded.
"Yes, Master Naraku. It is my doing."
"Tell me, then, how have you come to do this?"
I bit my lip, wondering how I could possibly word myself without revealing too much information. I paused as long as I could without seeming awkward or suspicious, then opened my mouth to answer.
"My lord Naraku, although I have only been alive for a short portion of my half-demon life, I have seen more horror than one could imagine. My own parents were brutally slaughtered before my own eyes, and I was left to fend for myself. Is that not enough?"
Naraku lowered his eyes from me.
"I am sorry, I had no idea."
He moved the shikkon jewel around in his hand for sometime. We both sat in silence, pondering each other's thoughts no doubt.
Surprisingly, it was he who broke the silence, not I.
"Last night....I was a bit cruel....I-"
I held my hand up delicately.
"Say no more." I did not wish to hear it. I was hurting so much already, I could not possibly want to know that he, too was tormenting on the inside. I wished to bear my pain, and my pain only. I had no time for his, though I wish I did. I wanted to lean over and hold him in an embrace so dear, all the pain that afflicted him in this world would dissolve away.
It was while I was letting my imagination get the best of me, I smelled him.
Him.
I never expected to see him again. I never expected to hear from him again, yet I could smell him. And he could smell me, I was certain of it. I was also quite certain that he was tracing my scent back to me.
"Sesshomaru," I whispered.
"I beg your pardon?"
I felt overwhelmed with panic. I had no idea why, but I was not ready to face Sesshomaru again after such a long time parting, and after having sought for him as a cure for my ailments for so long, yet to no avail.
I quickly stood, Naraku followed suite.
"I must hide." I called to the breath of the trees, and, together, the surrounding forest hurtled me back into a tree, further away in the same direction Sesshomaru was traveling. He would have to encounter Naraku first. I was nearly certain Naraku would never give my location away.
He was getting closer now, I could feel it. I could smell it. I knew he would not harm me, yet I did not understand this anticipation I was feeling. It was beyond the unsettling feeling of seeing a love lost. It was something more. Something threatening and unsettling.
Finally, he emerged through the clearing. Rin and Jakken were not with him, but I did not doubt that they were nearby.
Naraku stood in place, watching him wearily.
"Sesshomaru. How lovely to see you." Despite his words, he did not seem in the least bit thrilled to see Sesshomaru. "What brings you to this particular clearing?"
Sesshomaru looked past him, up at the tree in which I had perched myself. He could not see me, but he could sense me. He spoke, staring not at Naraku, but at the tree.
"I wish to speak to Kitsauma."
"Kitsauma is not among us currently. But surely you can speak to me." Naraku stood protectively in front of Sesshomaru's gaze.
Sesshomaru finally turned his gaze toward Naraku. He smirked. I usually died for his smile, yet something about this particular one seemed menacing. I could not place it, yet I felt something was about to go terribly wrong.
Sesshomaru leaned toward Naraku a bit, and whispered something. I was not able to hear. Naraku quickly turned to face the tree I was standing in, looking infuriated.
I placed my hand on the tree quickly. 'What did he ask him?'
The tree rustled, relaying to me its memory. I heard Sesshomaru's voice echoing in my head. "Tell me why, then, is her entire body afflicted with bruises."
No!
How could he?
That one simple question brought about a subject matter that I had been so determined in avoiding during my entire time spent with Naraku...It ruined everything, undoubtedly.
I found that my eyes were half closed, as if I were awaiting some sort of physical blow. I peeked them open, and looked down at the scene below.
Naraku's look of fury turned into a dangerous snarl. I felt bile rising in my throat. No, perhaps that was just my heart.
"Kitsauma, come here please!" he growled through his clenched teeth, trying to remain very calm.
I wished to disobey, wanting nothing more than to run in the opposite direction and start over, somewhere else. Yet, I could not deny my master's calling.
And so it was with a gentle grace and a heavy heart that I allowed the tree to extend its branches, and lower me to the ground. Hesitantly, I crept closer and closer to Naraku and Sesshomaru, until I was within a close proximity to the two.
Naraku reached out and roughly grabbed my arm, pulling me close toward him in between Sesshomaru and himself. His expression was still stuck in a snarl. Unexpectedly, he shredded my obi, allowing my kimono to hang around my body. Yes, I was wearing underwear of sorts, but that did not keep my shock at bay. I hugged myself around my chest, which I had daintily covered with bandages after my shower that morning.
He was clearly displeased at what he saw, and forcefully removed my hands from my body as he continued to rip off my kimono. My arms hung uselessly at my sides.
He could see everything.
My despicable, ugly body. Even I, curious at how it must seem to him, dared to look down.
It was worse than I thought. It was a dark, pulsating purple, yellowing at the edges where my skin became normal. I was so hideous. How could I ever expect Naraku to love me now?
I looked up, through my welling tears to see his face, which was contorting with fury evermore with each passing second. The snarl he had been making now received a vocal sound, and a low, guttural growl emerged from his throat.
The tears began to fall, and I shifted my gaze to Sesshomaru.
"Why?" The word croaked from my throat.
Sesshomaru looked remorseful, and stepped closer to me.
"I am sorry. I was not quite sure if he knew. You see, I was curious myself."
I tried very hard not to be angry, and nodded, despite my harsher feelings.
Sesshomaru took another step toward me, yet Naraku forced himself in front of me, giving Sesshomaru a warning glare.
"Tell me, Kitsuama," I once again became the focus of his snarl. "Tell me how your body came to be this way."
I could feel him gritting his teeth, and I felt very nervous.
Sesshomaru placed a hand on his shoulder, in an effort to calm him down. Naraku quickly shrugged it off. Not to be deterred, Sesshomaru placed his hand in the same spot once more. It seemed to lessen his anger a bit, and he settled on a rock, holding his head in his hand. He peered up at me, anger still smoldering behind his pupil.
Gingerly, I picked my kimono up off the ground and bundled it over my body, feeling more self-conscious at this moment than I ever had before.
And I noticed that, as I did so, Naraku never once took his eyes off me, and made no apparent expressions of disgust. Through his anger, he seemed slightly awed.
"So this is why you have such a hard time managing your movements..." he whispered to himself.
I had to say something. They were both waiting for some sort of explanation.
I could lie, and continue on with my facade, how my demon side is rejecting my weaker, human side.
Or I could tell the truth.
Yet which to choose?
I knew I could not hold back my secret any longer, and so I began to retell, for the first time in a long while, the bloodshed and horror that constituted as my past.
That's it for chapter 7
stick with me for chapter 8 !!
