Chapter 21 : Old Enemy
Inuyasha grabbed a handful of tulips from the garden, he whizzed another handful of yellow flowers before grabbing the edge of the garden wall, readied to jump out.
"Say Hi to Kikyo-Chan for me!" Izayoi called out from behind suddenly, startling Inuyasha who let go of his grip and fell to the ground with a thud.
"M..Mother!" Inuyasha's eyes widened as he frantically tried to hide the flowers behind him. "Wha..What do you mean by that? I was just going to practice hunting!"
"Use the front door next time" Izayoi just smiled. Inuyasha blushed a shade of red before jumping over the wall. Waving his mother off in embarassment.
Inuyasha raced across the forest, a big happy grin plastered on his face. His eyes sparkled with life. Giggling happily to himself, he thought of Kikyo. He had been visiting Kikyo alot lately after the incident with Rokutsu. They'll meet secretly in one part of the forest where little people dwell. Sometimes they encountered demons but together they'll fight it off. Humming to himself as he ran, he picked up a few wild flowers on the way to add to his bouquet. Glancing at his bouquet with satisfaction, he nodded.
Inuyasha had never been happier. Life was blissfull as for now. For the first time in his life, he befriended someone outside the castle and to top that, it was not just someone. It was Kikyo. A very cute and kind priestess with strong exorcism power. Hmm, exorcism power. Inuyasha chuckled to himself at the irony. Here he was a hanyou, a half demon but still considered a demon befriended a priestess with strong enough power to exterminate beings such as himself yet he doesn't care. He liked Kikyo...no, he loved Kikyo and that's enough for him.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha called out as he reached a forest clearing near a waterfall.
The loud crashes of the waterfall could not block Inuyasha's keen hearing upon spotting Kikyo. His ears twitched and he knew exactly where Kikyo was already. Walking towards the waterfall, he smiled at the sight before him. Kikyo was sitting beside the river, her legs splashing at the water as she hummed softly. Kikyo heard rustling among the grass and turned her head to see Inuyasha standing there, blushing.
"Inuyasha" She smiled.
"Ki..Kikyo!" Inuyasha rushed to Kikyo, but the slippery ground near the waterfall caused him to trip and fell into the river.
"Inuyasha!" Kikyo gasped, she looked around frantically as Inuyasha climbed back up, embarassed.
Grabbing the remaining flowers that was stuck on Inuyasha's hair, Kikyo giggled and watched as Inuyasha rinsed himself dry in a doggy way. The both of then settled down on a small cliff above the river where they usually sat.
"Ne, Kikyo?" Inuyasha started, looking down at the river as it flowed steadily.
"Hmm?" Kikyo twirled a flower that Inuyasha gave her.
"Is is alright for you to spend time with me like that everyday?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well...I'm not quite human...I..."
Kikyo moved closer to Inuyasha, causing him to gasped. She brushed a stray hair off his face and placed the flower on his hair.
"You're so cute." Kikyo smiled, causing Inuyasha to blushed heavily. "Stop worrying about stuff like that."
Inuyasha smiled happily, Kikyo was really kind, unlike other humans. She accepts who he was and doesn't mind spending time with him. It was quite his first time playing with someone around his age, there was so many things they could do together and doesn't get tired of it. The two of them continued playing and chatting until evening.
Kikyo herself wondered why she was so attracted to this hanyou. Her job is to exterminate demons but maybe because Inuyasha was a half-demon. She couldn't bring herself to harm Inuyasha. Besides, Inuyasha didn't seemed evil at all, he was more...well, reckless, clumsy but brave and a little bit cocky, I guess. Kikyo giggled as she watched Inuyasha pranced around. She was happy spending time with Inuyasha and partly curious about Inuyasha's nature. Afterall, it was a first time meeting a Hanyou, and such a cute hanyou indeed, with soft white ears on his head.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha called out and waved. Kikyo ran towards him and they both collapsed onto the grass. Lying down peacefully as they chatted and laughed.
"I'll have to head home now." Kikyo looked up to the sky, her eyes widened as how time pass by so quickly.
"Oh...okay." Inuyasha frowned. Kikyo giggled, waving at Inuyasha before leaving. "See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah!" Inuyasha stood there alone, he heaved a sigh of relief as he watched Kikyo's back slowly dissapearing in the woods. After that, he himself too slowly made his way back home dreamily.
The next day, Inuyasha once again made his way to the waterfall. Excited in seeing Kikyo again. Humming to himself happily, he exited the forest clearing. Looking around excitedly, he scented Kikyo and a bright smile plastered on his face. But as he reached their usual spot, Kikyo was no where to be seen. Instead he spotted a hooded figure sitting on the usual spot where he usually sat with Kikyo. His senses went on alert and his ears twitched. The figure did not move, sitting there like a statue. Inuyasha furrowed his brow in confusion, his senses told him that Kikyo was here, her scent was still fresh. But she was nowhere to be seen and the hooded figure looked really suspicious.
Hesistantly yet carefully, Inuyasha approached the hooded person. he gasped when the figure turned arubtly at his direction and fell back on his butt. The mysterious being before Inuyasha, dressed in a black hooded robe, covering his body completely. However, inside the hood, Inuyasha was shocked that the person standing before him had no head. There was nothing in the hood but a void dark emptiness.
"Hmm? Interesting." The hooded figure spoke up. "You look just like your mother."
Mother? Inuyasha's senses was on alert now, he growled lowly and glared at the figure, his hands already on Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha's eyes scanned around quickly. Kikyo, where is she? Is she save?
"Don't bother." The hooded person chuckled. "The little girl? You will join her soon."
"What did you do to Kikyo!" Inuyasha's eyes widened as he barked.
"A human falling inlove with a demon..." The mysterious person started walking slowly towards Inuyasha. "unforgivable...disgusting..."
Kikyo...!Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and stood his ground. He growled defiancely at the dark person before him. Inuyasha could sensed the evil emiting from the figure and the thin miasma that danced around the hooded person. Kikyo's whereabout was the only thing that was going through in Inuyasha's mind.
The hooded figure towered over Inuyasha, standing infront of him. The empty void on the hood sent shivers down Inuyasha's spine causing him to tremble slightly. The hooded person's aura overpowering the little pup as Inuyasha backed up a little, growling. Inuyasha didn't even noticed that his hands on Tetsusaiga was trembling. Unable to take it anymore, Inuyasha snarled and brought down Tetsusaiga at the hooded person. It slahed through the robe, tearing it to shreds.
Inuyasha gasped and jumped back at the sight before him. A human but looked nothing like a human. The robe fell revealing a rotting body, the rotting flesh with yellow and red slime oozing out. Maggots crawling all over the body with a few centipede occasionally scurrying through visible bones jutting out from the flesh. Limbs rotting off, revealing bones and flesh tearing. On one hand, sat a head. Smirking and mocking Inuyasha. The cold crimson red eyes sending daggers at Inuyasha with merciless glares.
"W...what are you!" Inuyasha managed out, scrunching his nose from the scent of rotting flesh.
The mutilated body lunged itself at Inuyasha, gripping his neck and squeezing it tightly. Inuyasha gasped and gagged, claws frantically scratching at the hands squeezing his neck. He had longed dropped Tetsusaiga on the ground.
"This is what your father did to me." The creature snarled. "And now you shall pay for his sins."
"D..Don't...mess with me!" Inuyasha cried out, a new found strenght as he cracked his claws and swung it hard on the hands gripping him. The hands fell off to the ground and so did Inuyasha.
"Feisty eh?" The creature grinned, it's hands flew back to it, regenerating into place.
Inuyasha acted fast, tumbling onto Tetsusaiga and holding it tight in fighting stance.
"Who are you?" Inuyasha barked. "How did you know about my mother and father!"
"Who am I?" The figure approached Inuyasha once more. "I go by the name Takemaru."
Takemaru charged at Inuyasha with lightning speed. The pup didn't even had time to register what was going on until he felt a blow to his stomach rendering him unconcious.
"Inuyasha?" A voice. But whose? Inuyasha stirred, he tried to sit up but his muscles protested. A flash of dizzyness and he fell back to the ground. "Inuyasha!" The voice again, so familiar. whose was it? Inuyasha suddenly jerked up, recognizing the voice.
"Kikyo!" He cried out. turning over, his eyes was met with Kikyo.
"Inuyasha!" Kikyo sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, are you okay?"
Inuyasha nodded. "What about you?" Panic rised from his voice as he spoke.
"I..I'm fine." Kikyo answered, but her voice was slightly trembling.
"Where are we?" Inuyasha looked around. He could barely see anything in this darkness, but the scent welding up his nose was not pleasant. The cold damp floor below them was not at all comforting and the silence around them but the drip drop of water droplets sent Inuyasha shivering.
"A dungeon I think..." Kikyo spoke up softly, hugging herself as she shivered from the cold.
"Takemaru..."Inuyasha mumbled to himself, his knuckles tightening into a fist.
"Pardon?" Kikyo looked up at Inuyasha.
"I...I'm sorry Kikyo..." Inuyasha hid his face behind his bangs. "It's all my fault..."
"Why would you say that?"
"He was after me." Inuyasha choked slightly. "I got you into this...I'm sorry..." Then he gasped when Kikyo placed her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.
"It's not your fault." Kikyo forcefully turned Inuyasha's head to face her. "Now stop blaming yourself and lets figure out a way to get out of here okay?" She smiled assuringly.
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he nodded slowly. His hands moved to his side to grab Tetsusaiga when his hands was met with air. He gasped and looked down, Tetsusaiga was not there. Cursing to himself, Inuyasha scanned the dungeon. It was really dark, there was no opening nor windows. Surrounding them were more rocks and boulders. Then his senses went on alert and he stood infront of Kikyo when he scented something coming.
A sillhoutte formed and faded in. Takemaru stood infront of the children, his expression emotionless, one hand holding a torch. Kikyo gripped tightly on Inuyasha's sleeves but they both stood their ground and glared at the intruder before them.