03.06.03 (wow nice date XD)
SUMMARY:
When Kagome was captured by the thunder youkai, she never thought that Inuyasha
would give up on her. And she never thought that she would have to tame a wild
beast, before it destroyed her first. (HITEN/KAGOME)
DISCLAIMER:
Hiten, Kagome and the world of Inuyasha are the creations of Takahashi Rumiko
and are not owned by me.
This picks up from where Kagome is captured by
the Reijuu brothers. From there on, contents are changed to suit my own *ehem*
needs. This includes the premature insertion of characters who might appear later
on in the actual story. So eh, treat this as a semi-AU if u must. Thankies ^___^
The plot's gonna be kinda dark, but I wouldn't exactly call it angsty. More like...intense. Not just the typical lovey-dovey romance story, but one which explores the darker side of a love-hate relationship. It seems more realistic in this way to me. I wouldn't expect a youkai, especially one as cruel as Hiten, to 'fall for' Kagome immediately, so I'll be taking the liberation to develop their characters for the whole relationship to work. But don't worry. Knowing me (i'm a sucker for romance), there will be fair amounts of *clears throat* um...mushy situations, once the time is ripe of course ^____^
A/N:
Don't you just love writing these?:-) I enjoy communicating with my readers! Wish
someone would email me to chat though! *hint hint* Anyone feels that my stories
are starting to take on abit of gore? Well I think I did mention that this is
a dark story, didn't I? O_______o'
Wow. I didn't realise there would be
such an 'uproar', about me well basically killing-off Haruki and his mom. Trust
me, I do have a reason for doing so, and I believe that reason shall be presented
in this chapter :-) As it was, I did take careful care in writing that scene,
enough for Kagome to form an emotional bond with them, and yet not enough to really
look into the two characters and see their real, inner thoughts. *ehem*
*edit - 05.06.03*
Ok just a clarification. I had meant to explain why Hiten did what he did, but
it will only be appearing in the next chapter, so my apologies for that ^_^ And
on a side note, thanks to shinacira. It was a yukata and
not a katana. God, that was kinda embarassing, considering my heritage lol. My
mom keeps saying I'm too mixed up with my languages. But thanks again =)
Yuri - The wondering spirits of the dead.
Yukata - A summer kimono that is worn on a more casual basis than the traditional kimono.
Distant Thunder
(PART II)
By: cacat-angel
it's you that I adore
you'll always be my whore
you'll be the mother to my child
and a child to my heart
we must never be apart
Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore
chapter 10: Yuri
"You what?!"
Six pairs of incredulous eyes fixated themselves onto the wretched hanyou they had prodded and poked and conveniently backed into a corner of Kaede's hut.
"Kidnapped right in front of his nose..."
"We should have been there! You dingy - "
"Not now, Shippou." Miroku's voice rang out above the din with quiet authority, a golden brown hand laid atop the little kitsune's bristling head. He bent down and whispered into the kit's ears, pulling him away from the hanyou gently. "Look. He's feeling just as bad as you are."
Sango turned a pair of pondering black eyes onto Inuyasha's face. In the frenzy of the moment, she hadn't noticed the hanyou's uncharacteristic silence, until Miroku's soft comment. She was surprised she even missed it. Large eyes which were normally a fierce burning gold, were now muted and glazed over. Pale lips stretched taut into a grim line, and even the hanyou's pointed ears drooped weakly.
If she didn't know better, she would have proclaimed Inuyasha sick with worry.
"But still, he shouldn't have!" Shippou fumed, refusing to back down. He danced frantically on little black paws in an attempt to get closer despite Miroku's restraining hand. "He - "
"Sorry."
All time froze. The seconds ticked away into minutes, and it seemed almost a lifetime before breathing was heard again.
"Miroku...did he just say..."
"Yes. I'm afraid he did."
"Ohh. I think I'm going to faint!"
Inuyasha threw an impatient glare at the ridiculous expression on the kitsune's scrunched up face. "Shut up, little whelp. Just be glad you've lived to hear it." He looked up at the two, and it was as if the spark in his eyes crackled brighter than before. "I'm getting her back."
The trauma from actually witnessing Hiten's ruthless slaughter, had settled into a bleak, muddy blanket in her mind, coated with layers of anger, doubt and sadness.
Kagome thumped the back of her head softly against the wall she leaned against, diluted brown eyes focused on nowhere in particular. The blows were cushioned by her thick crown of hair, but the force was enough to leave a faint thudding echo in her mind's ears. The pair of dirt smudged legs stretched out before her on the ground, and hands, bruised and aching with the earlier damage they had attempted to cause but failed, lay uncaring at her side.
Her vision was blurred, her thoughts felt as if they were shaded by an impenetrable screen of gray. The sharp change in situation forced her to reconsider the false lull of security just moments ago. In fact, it had seemed almost surreal - it was too good to be true, and more likely than not, it wasn't true. Or at least, it had been shattered. Cruelly shattered.
She felt another sob wreck through her weak chest. Her throat constricted with forced inhalation of air, and she let out a smattering breath, eyes fluttering shut, as darkness blanketed her in a restless shroud.
The tall youkai stood just a few feet away, watching the girl. The distance he had so graciously allowed between the both of them was enough for him to observe the girl, and still remind her of his guarded presence. She would be able to sense him. He knew she could, somewhere along the way.
His lips were pulled downwards at the vision of despair and sorrow that sprawled before him, taking it in with bloodless, impassive eyes, carefully masked behind a shroud of fiery crimson.
The transformation was nothing short of intriguing.
He'd manhandled her from inside the hut as she kicked and screamed, dragging her out into the yard and then throwing her onto the ground. She'd sobbed like a widowed youkai who had just lost an entire clan, ramming her tiny fists against her eyeballs so hard, he was afraid she might gorge them blind before he did so himself. And then she'd quietened down somehow, crawling on grazed knees and palms to the nearest wall of the hut, all the while letting out staccatos of loud, shuddering gasps, uncaring that her pathetic countenance seemed like a wretched mutt - which was no wonder, considering the company he'd found her with at the start.
Finally she'd slumped against the nearest wall where she now lay, reduced to nothing more then a vacuous doll of porcelain and flesh and reeking of moldy bones.
Disgusting to say the least, but rather interesting.
All this, just because he'd sent a couple of worthless souls on the way to their well-deserved path?
Dry vegetation crackled beneath his clothed feet as impatience twitched angrily within him. He knelt on one knee and lowered himself, hunching his back. . With thumb and forefinger, he gripped her pointed chin, allowing vicious black claws to create crescent-moon dents in that tender flesh of hers. Roughly, the fingers lifted Kagome's face to meet his. Pallid, glazed eyes met his gaze and amazingly, it was Hiten who flinched first.
Large brown orbs which were normally expressive, flashing one moment with rapture and the next, defiance, suddenly seemed disturbingly empty and foreign to the youkai. He shrugged off the abrupt sensation of unease with repulsion, dark brows pulling themselves together in a black scowl.
"Just what are you playing at." The grinded out words were not a question, but a demand.
No reply.
He felt a wild surge of angry youki through his body, a throbbing flash of red that made his breath harsher and the rumbling growl deep within his chest louder. His lips peeled back in a snarl, and he could feel the sharp push of extending canines against the flesh. "You will cease this nonsense now, woman. I am getting tired of your game."
Oh, just go away and leave me alone.
Kagome blinked, pointedly ignoring the annoying voice that knocked itself about in her head.
"...playing at."
Playing? Whoever said I'm playing? Do I look like I'm playing? She gnashed her eyelids painfully together, wishing that the horrid chains would release their hold against her legs and arms, and her mind, while they were at it. Of course she was aware that the chains were illusions, but couldn't a girl humor herself around here?
"...cease this nonsense now..."
Alright, enough already! Just...give me a hand here instead of...
Her mental wish was granted as she felt herself being hauled literally to her feet. The little bubble around Kagome burst, and she plunged at breakneck speed to consciousness.
Darn.
She collided against reality with a sharp jolt. Her senses hurtled towards her, efficiently unwinding the mental chains that bound her with triumph. Leaden legs quivered and near collapsed with the sudden return of sensation, almost as if she had been bedridden for a couple of years.
"Wha...huh?"
It took her at least a couple of minutes, before she recognized that the wall which rose and fell violently before her was a wall of flesh, and even an even longer period before she realized it was somebody's exposed and admittedly toned chest she was staring at, complete with defined collarbones and a sculpted Adam's apple that bobbed tantalizingly. She raised her dazed vision further up, passing curved lips which would have put Takuya Kimura to shame, and then locking with the most intense, crimson gaze she'd ever encountered.
"I think I'm feeling a little woozy here..."
He cursed vehemently, suppressing the rabid urge to snap that thin arm of hers to serve as future warning. Anger boiled and steamed within him, even as he held the bewildered girl upright by a deathgrip on her arms. Granted it did help bring her to her senses, but he found himself thoroughly disgusted with the newfound tolerance he had apparently unearthed. The wench was simply having it too easy for her.
The weak little fool he held in his arms seemed be rousing herself subsequently. He clenched his teeth, feeling the muscles work themselves in his jaw. But still, his eyes fixated themselves to the dark crown that he held against his chest. He swallowed as his fingers tilted her head back slowly, allowing strands of black to part, unveiling that tiny face of hers. He watched unmoving, strangely drawn to dark lashes that flickered against reddened skin and white cheekbones, the swell of parted, washed out lips that trembled with incoherent mutterings. He watched silently, as the lashes fluttered open, revealing disoriented pools of shimmering brown.
"...a little woozy here..."
He started at the warning growl within his chest which rose instinctively, ripping his gaze from those goddamned eyes of hers. His fingers had a sudden itch in them and a blazing urge to destroy something; anything. The doll he held would have sufficed, had he not needed her miko abilities, he convinced himself with somewhat more agitation then was necessary.
"You're wasting my time, fool," he hissed between gritted teeth. Without waiting for the wench to gather her thoughts and gain balance, he released her violently, the action causing her to stumble and crash against the wall. By the seven hells, the little witch would hardly last for a few minutes under ordinary circumstances. She would have been torn apart slowly, limb by pathetic limb...
Her sharp cry broke through his fantasies and he eyed her warily.
Her moment of delirium passed, frightful verity presenting itself on a platter before her. Her breath accelerated and her heart drummed wildly. With a shaking hand, she pressed against her chest, seeking desperately to calm herself, ordering her faltering legs to get a grip of themselves. The thunder youkai stood still as a statue before her, save for the burning amber in his slit eyes, a fire that jumped and leaped, threatening to burn her alive and consume her if she so much as dared a glance more.
She shook her head, clearing the startling image of those eyes from just moments before. She had thought them to be the most beautiful color she'd seen. But now, they were just frightful and animalistically brutal.
The pain that seized her heart was now dwindling to a numbing buzz, but she knew that the scene would be carved savagely into her mind forever. Or at least, until the moment her existence ceased, most probably at the hands of this beast. The swollen lump at the back of her throat, the flashes of the cruel massacre Hiten had carried out, the burning within her eyes, all served as a screaming reminder of what had happened.
But Kagome rubbed vigorously at her eyes and gave a forced smile. Trembling and feverish, but still a smile, nonetheless.
She refused to allow the youkai the further victory of her defeat, refused to bow down to his tyranny and that smothering diabolism that threatened to swallow her whole. Whatever his reasons for keeping her, he could shove it. And whatever torture he insisted on inflicting on her and anyone else around them, she was dead certain would be thrown back at him double, and more. If not by her hands, then by a being greater and more powerful than him.
She took a step away from the wall, then another, chin held high and back as straight as she could manage.
She would last out until the day Inuyasha returned for her. This she swore upon Kami above.
He observed the girl with grim silence as she inched towards him.
The upward curve of her lips had surprised him considerably, her slow but increasingly stable step had amused him to no end. But it was the sheer determination and drive in those eyes that stunned him. It was the glowing fire of life, in those huge, haunting eyes, that seemed to captivate the youkai and hold him entranced for more than a few moments.
Even as she walked closer, the unsteady, awkward gait of hers was slowly transforming into a grace that almost defied her youthful, albeit haggard appearance. The sudden spellbinding vision of a young, fearless goddess struck him. Then as quickly as it had appeared, she was once again the mortal woman-child. Collected and definitely more stable in mind than before, but still a pathetic human that hobbled and limped clumsily no matter how proudly she held, or attempted to hold herself.
He spat on the ground and flicked an imaginary piece of dust from the dark green tunic he wore, waiting for the wench to make her way before him.
The thunder youkai was at ease. Eerily quiet and serene, she realised, stopping short in front of him. The firm resolve she held in her almost seemed to melt with the infernal fire that raged in those red eyes of his. A flame which contrasted sharply with the ice-cold expression on his angular face and the seemingly calm stance that he took on - legs apart and weight leaned on one hip, arms folded casually across his chest. And kami. No amount of confrontation would ever ready her for the brunt of his full height. The outright difference in their body mass alone was cause for intimidation, youkai or not. It was difficult facing off a man well over six feet height without any amount of fear, not especially when you were a schoolgirl barely coming to his chin, and not especially when he was a murderous, demonic villain in the true sense of the word.
Still, she tilted her face towards his, praying to kami that her body did not betray the screaming trepidation which cried out for release, begging her to just escape. But she couldn't, and she knew it. She had to confront her fear.
The faltering rays of the evening sun dipped into the horizon behind youkai and girl until they were a dark, melded silhouette against a backdrop of wondrous colours. Bamboo sprouted around the courtyard as the faint dusky mist came creeping in, surrounding the two roughened forms which faced off - the smaller one a slender willowy statue stiffened and guarded, the other a towering pillar of supernatural grace and demonic strength.
The youkai spoke first, a mellow, soothing tone that trailed chilling fingers of apprehension down Kagome's back.
"Is it a deal that we have, woman." Again a cold demand that allowed no defiance, a viciousness masked by the melodious voice he had taken on.
"Wh-what's in it for me?" Kagome asked, cursing her stammering tongue for the worldliness it lacked. Compared to Hiten, she seemed as threatening as a lizard. Which, of course, she probably was, in his eyes. Great. So much for being determined.
"Your life, or nothing."
Kagome blinked. That was a good one. "Well I - "
She was interrupted by the sudden shadow that was cast overhead. She looked around in surprise, completely unaware of the change in the surrounding that had taken place during their little face-off.
Gone was the glorious sunset which she had noticed briefly not long ago, and in place of the magnificent hues of pink and gold, were ominous black clouds that loomed overhead, blocking out any inch of moonlight that should have entered. At least, judging from the sudden darkness in the sky, there should have been a moon somewhere. The courtyard had dimmed to a gloomy shade of muted green and black, the bamboo grove behind warped by the lack of light, or something she didn't want to think about.
Even as she watched, the courtyard around her seemed to be shifting in shape.
As she turned to look at Hiten, the befuddled girl saw that the neat little rocks that had ran over the parameter of the bamboo grove had been strangely transformed into slimey, algae covered stones and boulders which were scattered in a disorderly mess. The little shrine in a corner, a holy artifact which should have been dedicated to the kami-sama, had disintegrated into a rubble of broken-down marble, yellowed with age, the kami-sama statuette sitting within stained with rust and covered by moss and creeping vines. The air rippled, and stretched shimmering with some sort of unseen force. And then, it took on a sudden vileness - so stifling and black, Kagome had to withhold the sudden urge to retch.
"What in hells is going on," she breathed with growing horror, her head whirling in perturbation as she looked around in a fluster. Her feet caught and she tripped, saved from kissing the ground only by the same grip of steel which had bruised her tender forearm.
He remained silent as Kagome wrenched away from his grasp, spinning around only to find that the neat little hut had indeed, taken on the same dilapidate state as the miasmic yard. A pungent stench wafted into her nose and she clamped it tightly shut with one hand, clutching with clumsy, frantic fingers at the nearest object she could reach - Hiten's tunic.
"What id blazes is happening?!" She yelped.
Already, a mysterious wind was stirring from the ground, blowing cold, dark vapour into her face. Her hair billowed in a crazed dance around her face, whipping at her skin with the sudden force of the upheaval; the damp yukata she had on knurling together in the air currents, painful lashes of cloth against her flesh.
Then came a thousand whisperings. Invisible beings carried through the horrible freezing winds, moaning and groaning their gusty sighs that grew in intensity till it echoed into a shrill voice that was whole with the wind. The violent gusts grew rapidly in magnitude together with the maniacal howl, swirling with a rhythm of its own evil nature, so noxious in its strength that it seemed to be on the verge of blowing her right off her feet.
It was a massive coalition of yuri, she finally realised. Hundreds upon thousands of agonised spirits of the dead, all gathered in one gigantic, supernatural tempest.
She
could scarce hear the cries of her own petrified mind admist the screamings and
plaintive wailing, as the spectral wind blasted current after current of bone-chilling
air towards her. And she certainly didn't want to wait to see what happened next.
So she did the only thing that came to mind and seemed to make sense at the moment.
She sputtered as she attempted to hold her breath, latching herself tightly against the tall, rock-solid body that stood beside her. Eyes shut against the spitting wind and strands of hair, head tucked tightly against the arm, she held onto it like it was a safety buoy, forgetting in momentary chaos who's body it belonged to. All that registered in her panicked state of disarray, was the immense wave of quiet power, and the reassuring confidence that her solid pillar of protection seemed to be radiating.
In her subconscious mind - the one that wasn't in danger of being buried alive by the sheer encompassing pressure of the yuri - she felt a strong arm reach around her body. It encircled her thin shoulders firmly, dragging her out of the turbulence and into its warm embrace, physically sheltering her from the tumultuous maelstrom that had threatened to whip her into cream and paste.
Hiten. It suddenly hit her, amidst the confusion. Its...hiten??
She could barely make out the low grunt that was uttered from behind, before she was shoved forward violently together with the body that pressed behind her back; but the arm steadied her in time, all the while shielding her from the full brunt of the unrested spirits that swirled madly around them.
"Where are we going?!" Kagome's muffled shriek cried out through the bellowing ruckus that surrounded the two, her face pressed against the muscled wall at her back.
The arm gripped her tightly but its owner said nothing. A large hand descended on her head and half covered the side of her wind-bitten face as it held her closer, finally blocking out the hurtling currents that lashed against her cheeks and eyes. She sighed and huddled closer to the body as she was slowly but steadily guided forward.
Hiten or not, this was definitely safer than she had expected.
A/N:
And that's that. So how was it? Do let me know what you think, and if there's
anything you find remotely strange, inconsistent or just...unhappy with!
Well
I included a little something, did ya notice? I find it pretty sweet, personally.
Its just so fun to get into Hiten's head and mess around with his thoughts *grinz*
So now you know more or less what's going on inside that big guy. Well
sadly, that's just half the story. It would take much more than that to understand
how his clock ticks, I'm pretty sure of that. But I sure hope I handled it without
being inconsistent with his character. Of course, a little more explaining in
the next chappie.
Btw!
Lynxxlady very kindly pointed out in an email about the third limited
and third omniscent voices I have been using. I didn't realise anyone noticed,
but now that she mentioned it, I think I'd better clear it up a little. I've been
having a pretty damned difficult time juggling those two voices, so please
bear with me if you spot any inconsistencies in voice!!
Special thanks
once again to Iseult my dear email pal, for sparing precious
time to beta-read for me, and lynxxlady for being so cool
to give me her views on my chapters!!
Oh
hey, feel free to email me if you wanna chat about my fics, your fics, or anything
else!! My mailbox is always open (cacat_angel@kichimail.com). Hmm. I always ask,
but no one seems to be chatting with me =( *sobz*
Review's Corner
[Iseult] - that was an awesome beta-read/review dood!! Thanks so much for taking time out just to beta my fic. I do know how busy you can get, for a fact ^__^ Well yes, I did mean for the word to be 'pant' *grinz* I was just too lazy to add the 'she panted' tag, so I just short-cutted and...that's what came out. I know..lazy author *laughs* Woah dood. Don't get so worked up about the family part, kay? ^__^ I'll explain more of it in the next chapter. I did make sure not to include the two OC's pov. If you read through the chapter again, you'll notice that I actually used the third limited voice, so that I'm able to go in the direction that there's more to those OCs than it seems. Ah the ending of chapter eight. Yep its not entirely waff :-) My waff standards are *way* waffier than that *grinz* And lastly about the enchantment part? Well. That shall be revealed in future chapters as well ^__^ I make it a point not to add in irrelevant plotlines, but if you come across any, meaning the loose ends I forgot/have yet to tie, do let me know =D Well once again thanks a milliion billion gazillion, so to quote!! Mighty glad, really ^____^ . peace out! \m//
[Kodokuchan] - that's very observant of you!! *rewards with hiten plushies* He did 'change', as a manner of speaking. More of it to come later ^__^ And hmm...grumpy? That would be SOOO Inuyasha. Adorable!!
[Ms.Videl Son] - you would take me off in a year or two? Gasp! *clutches heart* lol just kiddin ya. Glad you find Kags and Hiten in-character! As for Inu, I am trying to make amends .
[Oneiropolos] - dood, you are so totally spot on XD Thank you bunches!!!! I really appreciate that you can see it that way. I am definitely wary of warping his character for the sake of waff. I am completely for staying In-character. And yea! I hope everyone else realise that he's as cruel as he's 'sexy' too ^__^'' Thank you!!
[Cin of an Angel] - Aww that's so swet of you! Thankies =D Hiten didn't exactly soften. But even I have difficulty understanding what really goes on in his strange mind *winks*
[Chik of Hiei] - *blushes* Oh flattery. But it's got me grinning like a fool nonetheless! Hugz! Thanks!
[Mandypanchan] - oh don't kick the poor boy. He's had it pretty rough recently ^___^ And after all, he did save Kagome, and more than just once, too!
[Black Rose Lady] - thank you so muchly!!! I love your reviews =D I'm pretty much against rushing too, unless there's really a valid reason for doing so, like say a sort of wham-bang-whirlwind romance kind of thing. Hmm I'll say...they're gonna 'get together' in another 2 or 3 chappies. In fact I'm already trying to get a little something started between the both of them. Just pray that I'm still staying in character though. It's gonna be tough when they really do so X|
[Massao-na-Mizu] - oh no, I think I won't be getting to Yakuza for quite awhile, sad to say =( Totally lost the feel for it. Sigh. I think I'll have to pick it up someday and do a major revamp. But thanks anyway, and I'm just so flattered :-) Thanks alot, sweet chica *grinz* Oh and on a sidenote, I'm so reliefed that you weren't offended by my review ^__^
[Kagura] - I'm sorry about that =( But things aren't really quite what they seem, honest!
[laurelyn] - thank you dear ^__^ You're such a sweet (and pretty!) girl!! Thanks ^_^ And Kagome slapping in his sleep? LOL! That's so...cute!! *cracks up picturing it in mind* I might just add it as some spoof or something *grinz* And sorry babes, I haven't been a Kouga fan, so I don't have any links =( You might check out Thunk though, if you haven't already. She's got a pretty good one out. And yea hehe its kinda like Beauty and the Best in a sense. Hiten is much less refined than Kagome, and I made him bulkier in build than most of the characters too!
[Mistress-Pen] - phew. Thanks. Its mighty exhausting just thinking up those twists and turns =\ But I try my best to stay away from cliches, hence the twists.
[lynnxlady] - redeem him? welll not exactly . But there's more to the situation than meets the eye. I'm so excited to get started! Hope I won't disappoint though, after all my 'its not what it seems' claims Lol. And thank you. I will try to keep up the trend. Oh and once again, thanks muchly for your help!!! *winks*
[Jazzy] - I'm sorry hun, don't think I've got the time =( But if you want, you could send me some sort of personal data of yours, (appearance, character and all) and I'll see what I can cook up, kay :-) Hmm hope this is enough waff for now.
[Sailor Panda] - yeap it will definitely be tough building their relationship. That's the challenge I'm looking forward to :=D Thanks!
[kokonutsu] - Hehe the description was pretty on-the-spot =p But thanks for your reminder about the ending. I'll see if I can fix it just yet ^__^
[Hakuyoukai] - O__o that sounds familiar lolz.
[SimplyTurquoise] - sorry babes, but no romantic scenes until I've got those two sorted out properly. Like I said, I don't do pointless waff :-D
[dumdeedum] - you really find him complex?? *squeals* I'm so thrilled!! Gosh, thank you so much ^___^
[TalonKarrde] - and thank you tons for your insightful review =D It is pretty refreshing to write too. Much less restrictions!
**As
always, huge thanks and hugs to the brilliant dears who've reviewed and made my
day so fun! I honestly look forward to reading them, over and over and over and
over....*ehem* THank you!!!