Hello friends!
It's been a hot minute since I updated this (*looks at date of last update and cries because WHAT? HOW DID THAT MUCH TIME PASS? I'VE HAD THIS WRITTEN FOR MONTHS GOD DAMMIT) and I'm sorry for that. Would y'all believe me if I told you I think about this story ALL the time? This, my ATLA trilogy and my Avatar (blue people) story are at the forefront of my anxious adult brain all the damn time so don't worry - haven't forgotten this!
Hope you all enjoy and that in my haste to get this out there arent TOO many grammar/spelling errors.
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Chapter 27: Stolen Ashes
The next day, everything changed.
It really was unfortunate because Kohana woke up just after dawn that day feeling refreshed and, dare she say it, optimistic. As a full-blooded demon Shippo needed much less sleep than she did and so he was already up and practicing his illusions with Inuyasha when she opened her eyes. The morning went by smoothly and soon they were on the road again towards Kaede's village. Shippo had finally surrendered to the fact that he wouldn't be catching fish with no hands any time soon and had moved on to trying to transform himself into a fish—one little bit at a time.
Kohana learned a lot about fox magic that morning, mainly that male fox demons were capable of not only illusions but also full-on shapeshifting. When Kohana inquired about if female fox demons were capable of the same, Shippo shook his head.
"Mama said that only boys could do that stuff but that the girls were way scarier," he said as he hopped from stone to stone within the stream. "Papa always agreed with her—but I'm not sure if that's cuz of female fox powers or because it was Mama, ya know?"
Inuyasha let out a chuffing laugh at that and Shippo tweaked his tail in the half-demon's direction—a silent request for Inuyasha to explain. Kohana marveled at the silent communication because she knew without a doubt that most humans missed it. If she hadn't made a concerted effort in the beginning to be quiet sometimes and just observe the two demons interacting, she was positive that most of the little gestures would go right over her head.
The silver-haired half demon folded his arms into his sleeves, his brows furrowing as he considered his answer.
"Only had one interaction with one, a long time ago when I was still pretty stupid about staying out of sight. A huge snake-demon asshole had me cornered and out of nowhere this fox comes out and fucking obliterates him," he explains, a faraway expression of awe crossing his face as he did. "I had never seen a female fox before and so the fact that such a little thing literally lifted the snake and tore him in half left a pretty big impression on me. Male foxes aren't fun to fight, especially full-blooded ones, but females are on another fucking level. If it hadn't been a female passing by I probably would have died."
"Why?" Shippo and Kohana asked in unison.
Inuyasha shrugged. "I was a kid. Regardless of if they want kids of their own or have kids already or whatever, females of intelligent demon species are bound by instinct to defend young ones. Males are, too, but usually only with their own kind—females are less picky."
Shippo let out a thoughtful growl, then, and his teal eyes darted to Kohana's in a way that almost looked calculating but the expression was gone before she could pinpoint it for what it was. He was about to say something when both he and Inuyasha froze in their tracks, noses twitching frantically.
Before Kohana could ask what they smelled, a huge boom of energy and sound split the air and resonated through the earth around them. In an instant Inuyasha snatched Shippo and Kohana both up and jumped up into a tree to hide, his chest vibrating as his sharp eyes scanned for the source of the sound. Kohana relaxed into him, somehow knowing without testing the theory that any tension or resistance in her body would make Inuyasha lose his focus. Shippo was equally limp in his hold even as he sniffed at the air.
"What was that?" the kit whispered.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Ogre," he spat, and it was then that Kohana caught sight of the creature in question. Rising above the tree line was a cloaked figure with grey hair that streamed behind her as she flew. Kikyo—who had crossed the barrier at the first sight of danger—went cold within her as they both caught sight of the urn cradled in the demon's withered hands.
"No," Kohana breathed, feeling the sudden urge to vomit even as the orgre demoness disappeared from sight. Shippo let out a whimper and Kohana acted without thinking—she moved to tuck the kit into her chest, curling herself around him. Inuyasha's arms tightened around the both of them and Kohana gasped as tears filled her eyes.
Not her tears—Kikyo's.
She…she has violated my final resting place—Kikyo whispered, her soul heavy with horror and nausea. Kohana reached over the barrier for Kikyo and let out a choked sob as Kikyo rushed into the mental embrace. Holding a scared Shippo in her physical arms and a grieving Kikyo within her mind was more than she had expected and her entire body began to shake.
"Is Kikyo okay?" Shippo asked, his voice muffled against the material of Kohana's shirt, and Kohana and Inuyasha both froze. The question reached Kikyo and her sadness ebbed ever so slightly at the unexpected show of concern.
Tell him that I'm all right, and that I appreciate his asking, the priestess murmured, a soft warm rising within the woman in the face of Shippo's worry.
Kohana took a deep breath, meeting Inuyasha's gaze for a moment before looking down into Shippo's pale face.
"She's okay—and she says thanks for asking about her," she said softly and, after a moment of hesitation, let Kikyo slide into her skin and tuck Shippo's hair behind his ear. The kit could feel the energy behind the touch, could feel the difference if the surprised tilt of his head was any indication, but to Kohana's surprise he accepted the foreign touch.
Inuyasha let out a ragged breath and Kohana looked at him again; he was shaking with rage. Letting instinct guide her, Kohana leaned up to nuzzle her nose up the length of his neck. The half-demon stiffened at the unexpected touch but in the next breath the tension bled out of his shoulders.
Suddenly, a horrible thought emerged and she pushed away from the embrace. Ignoring Shippo's frown of confusion and Inuyasha's growl, she stared wide-eyed at the two of them.
"Kaede!" she exclaimed.
With bated breath Kohana watched as the moment of realization invaded the minds of her companions. Shippo let out a yip of worry and Inuyasha's mouth curved into a deep scowl.
"Get on," he commanded, crouching down so that Kohana and Shippo could climb onto his back. Normally they didn't travel like this, preferring to save Inuyasha's strength for when it was needed in battle, but Kohana wasn't about to argue.
The moment she and Shippo were secure Inuyasha leapt from the tree and began to sprint along the river's edge, so fast that the world blurred around the edges.
The village was in an uproar by the time they arrived—so much so that the usual disdain for the demons was absent. Inuyasha tracked down Kaede within seconds, his nostrils flaring at the unpleasant tang of blood.
"The hag's hurt," he snapped at no one in particular. Irritation filled him because the last time he had failed to protect Kikyo's sister, she had lost an eye. The old woman was alive still but what if she had gotten just as badly hurt?
Kohana slid down from his back at his words, her blue eyes sharp and guarded—like him, she didn't put her worry or fear on display for strangers to see. Shippo was much less careful; he let out a helpless snarl. A few villagers that stood nearby skittered away at the seemingly threatening outburst, their human ears too weak to even begin to register the higher vibrations that marked the kit's growl as one of worry and not of aggression.
Growling at anyone who got too close, Inuyasha followed Kohana as she searched for the hag. Eventually, they found her; the priestess stood in the center of a large group of yelling people, covered in bloodied scratches and her arm heavily bandaged. Her intense gaze found them immediately—her spiritual senses were strong, always had been—and in the same moment she nodded to her hut in clear request zzfor them to meet her there.
Inuyasha was about to reach for Kohana to relay the silent message when—
"What is this?" Kohana called out, almost calmly, and the chilling authority in her voice was so potent that even Inuyasha felt a shiver of unease slip down his spine at the sound.
One of the scowling men looked Kohana up and down before sneering in clear dismissal.
"None of your business, demon-lover!" he seethed, and Shippo let out a squeak of terror before jumping ship and seeking Inuyasha's shoulder instead. The half-demon's hackles rose at the man's tone—members of his pack deserved respect—but the Alpha in him felt a surge of anticipation.
That eagerness was rewarded when without warning, Kohana's attention snapped to the man in question. The human cowered as he was faced with both her stare and the almost demonic intent rolling off of her in dangerous waves. A glance at Shippo told him that he wasn't the only one to recognize the slight shift in energy—the kit's teeth were bared in a pleased grin.
"That human moron is gonna regret that," Shippo whispered into Inuyasha's ear, and from the way Kohana was approaching the man the half-demon was inclined to agree. Not that he'd ever say so—the brat should know better than to say that kind of stuff out loud where any human could hear him.
Inuyasha had learned that particular lesson the hard way.
The man swallowed hard when Kohana reached him, clearly trying to stay arrogant but failing. All the others around him save for Kaede had wisely backed away.
"Your priestess is injured," Kohana said softly, sweetly—sweet like poison was sweet before the effects kicked in. "And yet here you all stand, pestering her like blubbering children. Has anyone thought to let her rest, or even offered her water? I may be a demon-lover but at least I respect my elders! So kindly fuck off!"
Kaede let out an exasperated sigh when the man practically tripped over himself in his haste to get away, the others following suit with absolutely no prompting.
"That was unkind, Kohana," the old woman scolded. "And very unwise—I will have to appease them in a significant way if you are to be welcomed back any time soon."
"I do not care," Kohana seethed. Inuyasha had to bite down hard on his tongue to keep his surprise hidden—Kikyo had bled through in that moment, he was sure of it.
Kaede let out a tired sigh.
"In any case, let us continue this conversation away from prying eyes and ears," she murmured, subtly nodding to the villagers that still lingered within earshot. Kohana nodded, brought back to the task at hand, and moved forward to help Kaede to her hut. Shippo hopped down from Inuyasha's shoulder and scurried after them.
When the half-demon entered the hut a few minutes later, the tension was so damn thick in the air that Inuyasha had half a mind to try and cut through it with his claws. Kaede was staring numbly into the flames crackling underneath the teapot—she looked truly old for the first time since Inuyasha had woken up from Kikyo's curse.
"I fear for what may come to pass if the ogre remains in possession of my sister's ashes," the hag murmured. "Kikyo was a powerful priestess and even though her soul is safe—reborn in Kohana—the ashes still contain considerable power."
"We'll get them back," Inuyasha growled without hesitation.
Kohana nodded. "If Inuyasha and I leave now, we should be able to catch up with her in a few hours," she assured the old woman.
Shippo's eyes narrowed. "Hey, I ain't getting left behind! No way!" he snapped. Inuyasha blinked when the hag nodded in agreement, a small smile breaking the lines of grief.
"I will not stand idly by, not when my sister's ashes are in the hands of such a creature. I need a full day to heal my wounds sufficiently but after that…we will all go and confront the ogre witch."
Kohana let out a small sound of displeasure. "Kaede—"
Kaede's eye narrowed. "I am old, yes, but rest assured that my will is as strong as it ever was. I will accompany you peacefully or I shall follow you the moment you leave—the outcome is the same."
Inuyasha's lips twitched into a small smirk despite his efforts to remain unaffected. Kaede wasn't the wide-eyed child he had once known, sure, but the same bull-headed stubbornness that had marked her as different from her older sister was still there.
Kohana wasn't nearly as amused—her lips were drawn tight in displeasure as she watched the hag busy herself with preparing tea. The half-demon saw the desire to continue arguing in her eyes and acted without thinking; he crouched down beside her and let out a low rumbling sound—an attempt to soothe her nerves but with a hint of authority.
Stand down, the sound urged her.
Kohana's shoulders sagged slightly. It was a small shift—one that he doubted the old human woman in the room would have noticed even if her attention had been on them—but Inuyasha could see it clear as day.
But in an instant the fury—the worry—was back.
Without a word, Kohana got to her feet and stormed out of the hut, the reed mat loudly smacking against the doorframe as she went. Shippo hopped over to sit by Kaede, leaning against the old woman's leg as the priestess chuckled.
"Ah, just like old times," she muttered, and continued when Inuyasha sent her a confused scowl. "My sister was much the same when angry with me. If she's anything like Ki—"
"She's not," Inuyasha snapped, ignoring Kaede's mouth dropping open in surprise and moving to follow Kohana. She was farther than he expected; she had made it all the way to the forest edge in the direction of the well. He didn't barge into her space right away, surprising himself with the sudden restraint that seemed to come out of nowhere.
She's pack—for once, you're not afraid that she'll run away when things get tough, the demon side provided. He growled under his breath and sped up, perching in the trees just beyond the range of demon senses.
Kohana sat on the lip of the well. Her hair had grown out slightly since her arrival and now brushed just below the tense line of her shoulders. Her body looked so small and weak in that moment and yet Inuyasha couldn't forget the way it had felt against his that night by the fire, the modest but undeniable swell of her breasts—he suspected that the contraption she called a "sports bra" made them look much smaller than they were in reality—pressing against his chest as they kissed.
He had once thought of her as boyish but somehow, over time, the fierce glint in her bright blue eyes, the sensual upturn of her lips when she caught him staring at her and the confident sway of her stride even in the face of others underestimating her…they all combined to make her undeniably appealing in a way that made him catch his breath most days.
Inuyasha shook his head to clear it and jumped down from the tree. He knew she could hear him, saw her head tilt slightly to listen, and didn't make an effort to hide his approach—giving her a chance to leave if she really wanted.
She didn't look at him when he reached her, didn't spare him a glance even when he sat down on the opposite side of the well. The blatant ignoring made his hackles rise but he kept a hold on his temper. Fighting fire with fire wasn't the way to get her talk, never was and probably never would be.
And so he waited.
Kohana finally broke a few minutes later, glaring at him in clear irritation.
"You can tell Kaede I'm fine. I just needed time alone," she said, emphasizing the last word in a weak attempt at scaring him off. Weak in a way that Inuyasha knew well enough by now—she would never openly admit to needing comfort, so set in her role as protector, and yet the part of her (however large or small) that was fox-demon yearned for the comfort only pack could give.
As he watched her fix her gaze back to her feet, he wondered if she sensed that unique divide within herself the longer she spent time with him and Shippo, the divide that Inuyasha and all the others who shared both human and demon blood felt every single day.
Inuyasha's head snapped up at the scent of tears, eyes widening at the sight of the girl hugging herself as if it was all she could do to keep the fragile human body from coming apart at the seams. In an instant Inuyasha darted over to Kohana's side of the well, sitting close enough for their legs to touch. Thick, straight black hair fell forward to hide her expression and almost without permission Inuyasha's hand lifted up to tuck the hair behind a softly rounded ear to better see her face.
"She's so old."
Kikyo's careful intonation bled through Kohana's voice and Inuyasha let out a heavy sigh. He pushed aside the urge to grip the back of Kohana's neck and press their foreheads together—that was a demon gesture—and settled for wrapping an arm around her shoulders instead. Kohana was still very much present but Kikyo was close to the surface; Inuyasha could smell the shift in energy.
"She's human—what did you expect?" he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle. Kohana let out a choked laugh, scrubbing at her face.
"She never expected to see her sister again, didn't expect to have to see the effects of time," the girl admitted. Bright blue eyes locked with Inuyasha's and the back of his neck prickled in warning. Before he could say anything, she continued in a whisper:
"It hurts, having Kikyo so close. It hurts so much."
"What hurts?" Inuyasha demanded, leaning forward to scent her. No injuries that he could smell but a definite increase in stress if her heartbeat was any indication.
Kohana sniffed. "My dreams aren't mine anymore. Half of the time I dream about places I've never seen and people I've never met. I dream about you, sure, but they're her memories and so I wake up so sad. She was so excited to be your wife and now—"
Kohana buried her face in her hands, a broken sob cutting off any words that might have followed. Inuyasha's chest clenched; caused by both the words and the defeated anguish behind them. In a moment he had reached over to gather the girl into his arms, stepping backwards and sinking to the ground rather than balance on the well's rim.
She struggled at first, trying to escape his arms, but he simply tightened his hold in response. After a few seconds she went limp, her cries increasing in volume and her fists beating against his chest. The blows grew stronger with each hit but Inuyasha didn't flinch away, staring at the smooth lines of the well and swallowing past the uncomfortable tightness in his throat.
It had been Kohana's choice to let the dead priestess into her mind but how much of that choice had been shaped by the knowledge that Inuyasha still cared deeply for Kikyo? How much of that choice had really been a choice—for someone as compassionate as Kohana was, was it ever an option to force Kikyo back into silence?
Inuyasha knew the answer, had known it for longer than he cared to admit. In the face of the glaring truth, all he could do was hold Kohana tighter and force himself to bear the weight of her pain as well as his own.
Pack didn't let pack grieve alone.