A/N - I wasn't planning on posting this for a couple more days but then I figured I should ruin everyone's weekend. (insert evil smirk) Enjoy!
Something is following them. It's been following them ever since they left the inn five days ago. That dead smell is slowly circling the group so that it feels like he can't escape it. He's had that 'tingle down your spine, something's coming so you'd better watch your back' kind of feeling. He'd thought that maybe it was the girl's mother waiting for a chance to strike when he was weak. He'd spent his entire human night awake, not even trusting Miroku and Sango to keep watch. It had been for naught. His human night had been as peaceful as ever.
Whatever's tailing them, the pup and the kit have noticed too. Kiyomi in particular is very sensitive to that smell. She keeps stopping and staring off into the distance, a very bewildered look on her face.
The humans, of course, remain blissfully ignorant.
He whistles the pup to the front of the group. She'll be human tonight so they'll need to find somewhere to hide. Especially now that Aika's body is obviously tailing them like a goddamn hungry fox. The moment she's by his side, he crouches down to lift her. He doesn't know what sounds she's picking up but, whatever it is, it's slowing her down. He'd also just feel better knowing she's by his side. Shippo hops onto his left shoulder while his right arm carries the girl.
"The two of you smell it too?" he asks them quietly while he can hear Kagome squealing over 'how cute' he's being.
Stupid girl, this is far from cute. He's making sure the little buggers don't get themselves kidnapped or worse. Kagome does that enough for him.
Shippo nods his head. "It stinks! Is it Naraku?"
Inuyasha shakes his head. He can't let the girl know what's following them and he's infinitely relieved that neither Shippo nor Kagome have said anything as well.
"No, he's sneakier than that. Whatever it is though, I don't like it."
Kiyomi is suspiciously silent, peering into the trees that surround the main road. She could have sworn she could hear… No, that's crazy. She's imagining things. Inuyasha bounces her in his arm to get her attention. She reluctantly pulls her gaze away to look at him. He looks concerned by her distraction even if it's only mildly so.
"I want you to stay close to me for a while? Got it?" he orders, his eyes shifting to where hers had settled.
She sighs. She'd really wanted to go see if maybe that was… No, what is she thinking? There's no way that—
"I mean it, pup," he warns when she doesn't answer. Something is definitely out there and he'll be damned if it gets his pup and the boy. "With me or Kagome today, you hear?"
'Obey Alpha. Danger,' he warns her pointedly with a short growl.
She huffs but finally mumbles out a weary, "Fine."
It's a little too begrudging for his tastes but he'll take it for now. The kid hasn't done anything wrong quite yet. He can smell it though, she's totally planning on getting herself into something. Whatever's out there has definitely interested the girl, he's just praying that it isn't Aika. The last thing he needs to deal with is the runt running loose while her undead, potentially possessed mother is stalking them. He turns to Shippo.
"That includes you too, Shippo. Stay close, got it?"
The kit nods seriously. Well, at least he can rely on one child to listen to him.
~.~.~
"You can't," Shippo begs, looking over pleadingly at the others hoping they will notice his plight and save him.
Inuyasha's gone out to make sure the area is clear and Kiyomi is trying to get into the forest. Because of course she is; why wouldn't she?! This is really just his luck! They've found a nice little hut to stay in for the night until she's back to normal! All she has to do is wait! Her eyes are darting between him and the evening sky. Where's Inuyasha? He'd be able to stop this! Argh! Why is Kiyomi so stupid?! He's totally gonna get blamed for this!
If he gets bopped on the head for this he's going to be really mad.
"I've just gotta check something!" she insists. "I'll be right back, honest!"
"Inuyasha will kill me if you go out there and I knew!"
She rolls her eyes, moving past him. "Then pretend you don't know!"
"That's a really bad idea! W-we don't know what's out there!"
Hadn't Inuyasha said that her ma was under Naraku's control? What if it's her?! Oh, this is really bad…
But that's the problem, she thinks she may know what's following them. It's impossible though… He can't be here. She knows full well that going out there is going to get her into a lot of trouble with Inuyasha. But until she goes out there and figures out what it is she's going to wonder. What if it's him? What if he's looking for her? Shippo grabs her arm worriedly. She looks darkly at him over her shoulder.
"Lemme go, Shippo!" she hisses, prying his fingers off of her wrist. "I gotta check who's out there!"
Oh no! Inuyasha really will kill him if he lets her go off alone in the woods trying to figure out what's following them!
"Inuyasha will be real mad!" he warns frantically.
She scoffs, "Pfft, like I care! Let me go!"
Trying to persuade him to let her free, she pounces on the kit growling softly. The boy is braver than he looks and, surprisingly, quite strong because he keeps Kiyomi's haori in his grasp despite her trying to tussle her way out. Their scuffle attracts the attention of the older members of the group after only a couple of minutes.
"Shippo, Kiyomi!" Kagome scolds from the little semicircle the taller members of the group have formed. "No fighting like that!"
Shippo turns around to tattle. "But Kiyomi is—"
Kiyomi has weaseled out of his hold and is breaking for the woods, that's what!
The boy yelps and tries to toss his smashing top after her but she's faster than she looks. She dodges past it. She feels rotten running off on Shippo like this but she has to know. She reaches the trees quickly, scrambling up a tree trunk and jumping limb from limb. The smell is definitely like that Kikyo lady that Inuyasha likes so much but it's different. It smells like dead bodies and that Naraku man that Shippo had told her about. It doesn't smell like it should but that doesn't mean that it's not…
It's just that, she can hear a voice out there and from really far away it sounds almost like it could be Papa…
But that's crazy, right? Papa is gone so she must be hearing things, right? Still, she had better take a quick look around… just to make sure that it's not him… Better safe than sorry, right? She pauses in one of the trees with her nose in the air trying to narrow down all the different scents the forest has to offer: the sweet smell of crushed leaves, a den of undoubtedly tasty rabbits, soft earth that squishes between your toes when you walk on it, Inuyasha…
Oh no…
She goes to leap only to find it's too late. Two large hands grab her sides and hold her in midair. Ugh, how's she gonna explain this? She doesn't dare look behind her because she can feel his scathing look burning the back of her head.
"Shit," she huffs softly.
"I dare you to let Kagome hear you say that," Inuyasha rumbles moodily. Maybe Kagome's right about his language, after all, the kid's picking up some colorful speech under his watch. "Where the hell do think you're going, pup?"
"If I tell him I think I hear Papa he'll just think I'm crazy… Because I am. I'm hearing things… They aren't here. Mama and Papa are never coming back for me."
She shrugs, her temper flaring as Inuyasha tucks her under his arm to carry her back to camp. She's not surprised when he treats her to a thump on the head. She'd actually been expecting it much sooner than this. He emerges from the trees with her and Kiyomi can see that Sango is busy pulling the skin off of a wild pig. Inuyasha's hunted dinner down during his search. Shippo is sitting on Kagome's knee, frantically waving his arms around. The little kit is busily tattling on her, unaware that Inuyasha's already gone to collect the wayward girl.
"You going to explain yourself?" Inuyasha grumbles, holding her out to inspect her guilty face.
She doesn't want to lie… but at the same time, she knows how crazy the thought sounds. "Just thought I heard something."
"Heard what exactly?"
"Why's he so nosey all the time?" She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest as best she can for someone being held up by their armpits. "Just somethin' funny."
"Really? You don't seem to be laughing," he responds sarcastically, his patience thinning. "What did I tell you earlier today?"
"Look, I know, okay?" she snaps, matching him glare for glare.
"The attitude on this fucking brat!"
If she wasn't so distracted by something else, she would actually be intimidated by the infuriated look on his face. Rather, she's busy trying to peek past him in case whatever's been following them decides to make an appearance. She's trying to strain her hearing as best as she can just to see if maybe she can pick up on any sound that might prove her theory. She knows it's impossible… but it doesn't mean she doesn't want it to be real.
'Pup bad!' his youkai rumbles in warning. Her attention is diverted back to the outraged Inuyasha in front of her. "No, I want to hear you repeat it to me. What did I tell you earlier?"
She rolls her eyes and sighs loudly. "You said to stay with you or Kagome today."
"Oh good, so there's nothin' wrong with your ears. That just means you're stupid then," he snaps. "Stupid with a bad attitude."
"I'm not stupid!" she argues. "I told you I thought I heard something!"
"I don't care what you heard."
She frowns at him frustratedly. She really wishes she could tell him that she thinks she can hear Papa out there… Then again, maybe she doesn't really remember what Papa sounds like. Inuyasha's right, maybe she shouldn't have gone off alone after all. It really is crazy of her to think that her Papa is out in the forest. She stops glaring to sigh and nod her head, her ears dipping lower. She doesn't know what came over her.
Now she's gonna get punished over a stupid stranger in the woods just because she wanted to check it out.
"Why can't I just leave well enough alone?"
"I'm sorry…" she murmurs followed by a soft whine. 'Pup bad…'
"You'd better be." Goddamnit, he's not about to chase this kid around all night. "After dinner, you're dumb ass is going to bed."
Little punk's forgotten who's in charge around here apparently.
She tenses noticeably in his arms, he begins marching her back to camp. "But tonight's my—"
"Oh, I know what night it is. Don't blame me, pup, you got yourself into this mess."
"That's not fair!"
"Well, the next time I tell you somethin' then you oughta listen."
It'll be one less thing for him to have to worry about if she's in bed early. That body, her mother, it's definitely planning to strike. He's sure now because that scent is getting closer to their camp.
~.~.~
Kiyomi's sulking in her pile of blankets, staring longingly at the crayons that Shippo's left out. Every time she gets up to go play Inuyasha growls at her and he won't even let her sit up. Part of her wants to go to sleep just to stave off the sheer boredom of the night but it seems that instincts don't die so easily. She can't sleep simply because she's human right now. And she doesn't think it's very fair that she's stuck in bed on this night of all nights. He'd promised her that they would get to play the next time she was human. Okay, so maybe she'd been really stupid earlier today… But that's no reason to break his promise!
It's really late. Miroku and Inuyasha are about to switch guard duty. Thank goodness because Miroku will let her play. He never says no to her.
She's surprised when Inuyasha stands up suddenly and Miroku quickly shakes Kagome and Sango awake. Even with her poor hearing, Kiyomi can hear Inuyasha's growl. What could be wrong? Is there trouble? She finds herself shrinking under her blanket worriedly. Inuyasha picks up the familiar scent of the kid's unease.
"Stay there. It's not a big deal. I'll take care'a it," he tells her, trying to sound reassuring. Sure, he's pissed at her but he's not going to let the kid stew in her own fear. "Miroku, with me."
"You sense it too?" the monk asks quietly. "I've had the feeling that we haven't been alone in some time."
He and the monk leave the hut, Kagome follows them. Sure enough, there is a dark figure emerging from the shadows of the trees walking towards the hut. The scent that's been following him all day, the one that's been bothering him and the pup, is finally shifting downwind so he gets the full blast of it. That stale stench of death, dirt, and faintly of Naraku. It's not strong enough to suggest that this is an incarnation but it's definitely associated with his nemesis and recently too. The shape is too bulky to pass for that demoness so who the hell is this?
"I can sense a jewel shard…" his Kagome murmurs behind him.
"Kagome, stay back," Inuyasha demands, eyeing her closely. "Keep Kiyomi and Shippo with you. No one comes out unless I say so."
Whoever is standing in the field is clearly another walking corpse and he's got no idea what they even want. Whatever it is, Inuyasha has a gut feeling telling him that this isn't going to be good.
As soon as Kagome retreats into the hut, he pulls out Tetsusaiga; unsheathing it as a threat. "That's close enough!"
The man in the field stops approaching then, still and quiet. He seems relaxed, unthreatening. Inuyasha is surprised and unnerved when the man begins humming some sort of lullaby loud enough to be heard across the clearing. It's dark, the night only lit by the crescent moon, so his face is obscured.
Okay, so the resurrected body of a bard has been following them around? Well, at least it's not Aika, that's one stressor he can set aside for a moment.
There is a crash in the hut and the sound of scrambling feet on the wooden floor. "Kiyomi, no! Where are you going? Inuyasha told us to stay inside!"
But by the time Kagome's warning is uttered, the little girl has burst out of the hut as if Inuyasha had called her name. Her dark bangs flutter across her forehead in the breeze and her eyes are narrowed shrewdly as she stands in the doorway. Inuyasha is furious. Why the hell can't this stupid girl just do as she's told?!
"Kiyomi, get back inside. Now," he warns. She ignores him, a slightly glazed look in those emerald eyes. "I mean it."
But his kid in all but blood seems to be piecing something together.
The man is now singing his ballad. Inuyasha can only just make out the words so to the girl it can only be an indiscernible hum. After a moment, Kiyomi's eyes lock onto the man in the field. Her eyes begin to water inexplicably. She looks baffled for lack of a better word. Beside him, Miroku grips his staff even tighter. That goddamn stranger doesn't seem to be bothered by any of this.
"Kagome, Sango," Inuyasha growls. This kid is going to be in so much trouble when he's finished with this. She's going to feel the wrath of a thousand goddamn suns by the time he's done with her. "Someone grab this kid and get her back inside."
The man in the field lifts his voice just a fraction, but it's enough… Inuyasha hears the little girl gasp. If he didn't know any better it looks like the man is trying to attract her attention. Whatever the hell is going on, he doesn't like it. It's clearly scaring his pup. Kiyomi's knees are trembling, her pulse has doubled. Something's wrong with her.
And then he hears an almost hesitant whisper.
"P-papa?"
"Oh fucking hell, not him too!"
"PAPA!"
Before anyone has a chance to grab her, the kid bolts into the night about as fast as a fox demon. "KIYOMI! No! Don't do it! He's—"
She doesn't hear him or she ignores him, it could go either way.
"PAPA!"
The man crouches and Inuyasha can make out Kiyomi's small body being lifted before landing securely in the man's chest while her crying punctuates the night. The man holds her close, gently stroking Kiyomi's hair lovingly. Inuyasha is about to take some form of drastic action when another scent hits his nose. It's almost the same as the man's: death, the crisp scent of morning air, and graveyard dirt. This corpse has covered more ground though, he can smell it.
He doesn't need to look to see what is coming next, he's been waiting for her to show up for the past five days now. Stepping ethereally into the clearing is the demoness that's been following them only this time she's ditched the kabuki mask. She all but glows as she approaches the father and daughter. The little girl is so distracted, so relieved to have found even just one of her parents, that she doesn't notice the woman until she sings along beside Makotu. It must be something they'd do as a family.
Aika's voice sounds like an angel as she kneels beside them and rests a hand on Kiyomi's head. The girl shoots up in her father's arms, knocking him in the chin. She's wide-eyed, mouth gaping open in shock. It actually takes several seconds for the whole thing to process in her mind. She never thought she'd see…
"M-mama… MAMA!"
She launches into her mother's arms. Within moments the girl is hidden by her mother's curtain of light golden hair and beautiful pastel robes. Inuyasha's fangs are bared and he emits a low growl. This is a fucking trap and she's walking right into it.
But of course, she has… It's her human night. All of the senses that are warning Inuyasha to beware and stay on guard aren't there for Kiyomi. He's sure that this must have been her mother's plan. Show up when she's human so that she has no way of realizing that she is in danger. The kid has no idea that her mother and father are still dead, nothing more than walking bodies.
Kagome watches from the doorway with her bow in hand, frantically searching with her human eyes to find Kiyomi. "Where is—I heard shouting!"
"Kiyomi!" Inuyasha calls out into the darkness, his voice is pitchier than he'd planned. "Kid, you've gotta come back! They aren't real!"
She hears him, she really does, but part of her really doesn't care. How could this not be real? She's wished on every star in the sky for her parents to come back and they did. It's a miracle! Her mama continues to hum sweet lullabies to her, rocking her back and forth while her papa holds her hand tightly. No, Inuyasha must be lying. There is no way that this isn't real! Her mother goes to pull away but Kiyomi clings tightly to her midsection, refusing to let go for all the world.
"Hi, baby— Let me get a good look at you!" her mother murmurs, finally managing to pry the little girl off of her. She beams when she sees that little face in front of her. "Ah! There's my pretty little girl!"
She is as stunning as Kiyomi remembers. Her eyes are a perfect match for Kiyomi's half-demon form; a stunning shade of baby pink and lavender blended. Her long lashes brush against her moonlit skin and those pearlescent pastel dots that mark her high cheekbones are exactly where Kiyomi remembers they would be. She can't believe that Mama's really here…
"Mama?" She sniffles and wraps her arms around her mother's neck again, leaving a trail of fresh tears along Aika's jaw. "Mama!"
It seems to be the only thing she knows how to say at the moment.
Her mother only holds her close. "It's all right."
Makotu keeps a reassuring hand on Kiyomi's back but his grass-toned eyes won't leave Aika. He looks like he's shocked to see her alive. Kiyomi has lost all sense of time or danger. She has melted in the moment and relishing every second of it.
That peaceful moment is shattered very quickly by Inuyasha's furious snarl above her.
"Kiyomi, get back," he warns, his tone aggressive and his sword is still drawn. "Get back to that hut or, so help me god, your ass is gonna be red from here all the way back to Kaede's."
His tone strikes a chord with Kiyomi. Why is he angry with her? These are her parents. Why isn't he happy to see her with them? Oh, of course, he's never met her Mama and Papa! She must introduce them! She pulls away from her mother with a wide grin from her adoring mother's lap.
"Inuyasha! It's okay!" she reassures, wiping her eyes with the back of her fists. The action really makes her look like the child that she really is. "It's Mama and Papa! Look, they've found me!"
He responds by grabbing her roughly by the shoulder and, literally, ripping her from her mother's arms, tossing her behind him. He has to grit his teeth to bite back the guilt that floods him with this action but he refuses to look away from Aika and Makotu. She grips Miroku's robes trying to pull away from him. This is some sort of misunderstanding. She just has to explain it to him again!
"What do you want with Kiyomi? That's my pup and I'm not letting you touch her again." Inuyasha threatens lowly.
"Hey!" Kiyomi shouts, struggling in earnest against Miroku. The trouble is that she's human and doesn't have her usual hanyou strength to back her up. "S-stop it!"
"Butt out, kid," Inuyasha growls. "Miroku, get her out of here."
"No!" she cries, lurching against the monk who is trying his best to soothe the little girl as best he can in the current circumstances. "No! MAMA! Lord Monk, put me down!"
Miroku has no choice but to pick the kicking and screaming girl up by the waist and rush her into the hut. Inuyasha can't help but cringe, he feels absolutely horrible for doing this. She's gotta hate his guts right now and he doesn't blame her. But he has to! These aren't really her parents, goddamnit. Makotu stands, his bearded face rigidly glaring at the hanyou but with a touch on the shoulder from Aika who's also risen he settles. The demoness fixes Inuyasha with a calm, and cool stare.
"I take it that we have you to thank for keeping our daughter safe; a fellow inu-hanyou… How fitting."
The three of them can hear Kiyomi's screaming for her parents and trying to escape from the group inside. Something that was glass has shattered. Inuyasha's guilt moves swiftly into fury. How dare Naraku do this! The pup is going to be devastated when she changes back and her senses, her sense of smell, returns. She'll understand then though. They just have to keep her away from these freaks until this long night ends. The sun should be coming up within the next couple of hours… It's late, right? It'll be dawn soon.
"Nice trick," he scoffs. "Who sent you? Was it Naraku? Whatever he's planning ain't gonna work!"
Aika's expression doesn't change. "Trick? We do not jest. You saw the girl. We are her mother and father."
"Who brought you back?"
"How should I know that? All I am here for is the girl. She's my daughter. Give her to me and I'll spare your life."
His stomach drops; no, absolutely not, his kid's not going anywhere. Not with these psychos. Over his dead body.
"She's our daughter," Makotu warns, a hand on the hilt of his katana.
Inuyasha flexes Tetsusaiga again. "Not anymore. You can trick the kid but my nose works just fine. You both reek of death. If you think—"
Kagome approaches quietly behind him, bow clenched in her hands. She's alone but he can tell from her hair and her rumpled clothing that Kiyomi had given her one hell of a fight in the hut. She takes in the sight of Aika and Makotu; she can see the jewel shards embedded in both of their chests. Even without Inuyasha's senses, she can tell that they are resurrected.
But she can't stand to see Kiyomi so tortured. She loves the little girl too much and these jewel shards don't seem to be corrupted in any way at the moment.
"He's not going to like this…"
"Inuyasha," she begins carefully, "I think we should listen to them."
He turns to look at her, not bothering to hide the rage that is bubbling up inside of him now. "Listen to them?! Do you have any idea what they are?"
Kagome nods, looking back at the hut where things are mysteriously quiet. "I think it's best for Kiyomi if we do… She's"—her eyes water—"really… Inuyasha, I've never seen her so… I think she really needs to see them."
"Fucking damnit."
"No! Not happenin'!"
Kagome's voice is suddenly stern, bordering on motherly. "And I'm not asking! Alive or dead those are Kiyomi's parents. She deserves to see them and they deserve for us to at least listen to what they have to say."
Inuyasha's not stupid, he knows that this night isn't going to end all hunky-dory with her hand in hand with her dead parents. There's obviously a reason they have been brought back. The only person who can do such a thing is Naraku and he never has a good reason. This is not some kind gesture or movement of goodwill. He's obviously planning on using Aika and Makotu to drive a wedge between the rest of the group and Kiyomi.
What he can't figure out is why. What could Kiyomi possibly mean to Naraku?
"Please," Kagome whispers, "she'll never forgive us if we don't..."
He glares at the two, standing solemnly in front of him with hands gripped tightly, almost too tightly. He doesn't trust it but against his better judgment, he nods his head in the direction of the hut.
"C'mon. But if you so much as look at her the wrong way then I'm taking you out back and killing you."
The four of them walk into the hut, Inuyasha—holding Kagome tightly beside him—trailing behind to keep a close eye on Aika and Makotu. His stomach lurches when he enters. Kiyomi has nestled in Sango's tight embrace, bawling and intermittently hiccuping. He can't help but remember when they first met and Kiyomi feared the taijiya. Now, she's holding on to Sango like a lifeline.
Okay, now he gets why Kagome came to get him. The kid's already devastated; the situation became hopeless the moment she figured out it was her dad in the field. Fuck. He can't stop anything at this point. Aika swoops in immediately and, in one graceful movement, lifts Kiyomi into her arms.
"Hi, baby," she coos, tapping the little girl's nose with her index finger. "What do I tell you about those tears? Take a deep breath."
The girl follows her mother's cue and takes in a shuddering breath, already soothed by the demoness's presence. Her mother takes another breath in and purses her lips to blow all over the girl's face. Kiyomi giggles brightly and nuzzles her mom.
"Mama!"
Inuyasha can't help but wonder what will happen if her parents manage to take her with them. He knows that they will probably try and that the kid will be more than happy to go. But, and he knows this is selfish and he would never say this aloud, where would a situation like that leave him? What does that do to that bonding thing his aunt and uncle told him about? Not to say that if it were safe that he doesn't want her to be happy… But, goddamnit, he's gone and gotten himself all attached to the kid.
It doesn't matter. She's not leaving with them; absolutely not. This situation is about as dangerous as it can get and he's not about to allow his pup to—that's right his, and he'll say it again if he has to—leave here holding hands with danger.
"Mama," she murmurs into her mother's collarbone, "I was so scared without you. What took you so long?! I waited and waited for you to get back!"
Her mother pulls her back and places her on her feet, placing a hand on Kiyomi's head. "My little girl? Scared? I don't believe that for a moment!"
Makotu kneels and lifts her chin. His smile is infectious and soon the girl matches it. "Our girl is the bravest child in the land!"
She giggles and blushes, beaming at both of them. She's all but glowing as she places her hands on her hips and puffs out her chest. "Yeah! I am brave!"
Kagome smiles and pipes up from her spot beside Inuyasha. "You have gotten so brave, Kiyomi! Inuyasha and I are very proud of you."
She giggles, peering at them both over her shoulder before bounding over. "Miss Kagome! Inuyasha! Come see Mama and Papa! They've found me!"
Inuyasha only glares. "We've met them, kid. Come sit over here."
He reaches out to grab her but she slides away from him. She thinks he is joking around. "Mama! Mama, Inuyasha taught me how to fish! Did you know that you can drain all the blood outta them?! And I've lost three teeth! See? Oh! Miss Kagome is teaching me how to read!"
The girl runs back over to her mother and begins talking to her about literally everything under the sun. Her mother takes a seat against the wall, pulling the girl into her lap. She hums sweetly and rocks Kiyomi gently, listening raptly with the girl's father as the girl tells them all about their adventures since she joined them. She tells them about the shard hunts, the visit to Makotu's village, her first fishing lesson; if she can think it, she tells it. With every tale, Aika praises her daughter's clever storytelling with dramatic gasps. Kiyomi clearly had the run of her household when it came to her parents.
He's relieved that's he's managed to mostly squash that out of her. Or at least he's trying to. Inuyasha huffs, that woman, Aika, is sure as hell putting on one hell of a show. He doesn't trust this, not at all. It reeks of death and a trap and the kid is eating it all up.
"Inuyasha," Shippo whines across the room after about an hour of awkward silence between the rest of the group, "it smells in here now."
He's just noticing that Kirara's fur is standing on end and her two tails are a little puffier than usual. Of course, their demon noses can smell it. He's not going to bring up the state of Kiyomi's parents until the girl is sound asleep. She doesn't need to know that her parents have signed a deal with the devil so to speak. And they can sure as hell guarantee he isn't going to let them take her with them. Kiyomi peeks over her mother's shoulder at Shippo.
She giggles, unable to smell what their advanced noses are detecting. "Shippo! Come see Mama!"
The boy only covers his nose and glares daggers at the unwelcome guests. He's very jealous at the moment. He's an orphan too but nothing is going to bring his pa back to him. It isn't fair at all. How come stupid Kiyomi gets everything?
"Oh!" Kiyomi reaches into her jacket to pull out a tattered stretch of fabric, her mother's scarf. "I held on to this for you, Mama."
The girl shakes out the silk so that the red crayon she'd kept inside falls in her lap. Handing her mother the scarf, she picks up the crayon, and then she remembers—
This was her present… from Inuyasha…
She's overjoyed that Mama and Papa have come for her. She's relieved to see them and her heart feels like it could just explode with all the happiness inside of her! But now that they are here does that mean that she'll have to say goodbye to all of her friends? She doesn't like that thought at all. Maybe Mama and Papa can come with them! Yes! That will be the solution. She likes that idea very much. She looks up at Inuyasha and holds out the crayon.
"Don't worry," she tells him. "I'll keep it safe."
"Kiyomi," her mother coos, tilting her daughter's face towards her. She'd smelt it, her child was sad for a moment when she'd looked at that strange red candle. "Is something the matter?"
Blinking back the rush of nervous fear that's building in her belly, she smiles. "No, Mama, 'm okay."
"I'm better than okay… right? This isn't a dream, is it? Maybe I fell asleep after all… No! It's not a dream and Mama and Papa will join Inuyasha's pack with me! That way we can all be together and I don't have to say goodbye."
Aika runs her hand down Kiyomi's back soothingly. "All right, my little star, it is nearly dawn. It's well past your bedtime."
She giggles. "I'm not sleepy!"
"Tut, tut. To sleep, little one." She pulls out the soft hair tie that Kagome uses to hold the girl's hair out of her face, letting the bun fall apart. She pauses, sniffing it interestedly before sneering and tossing it aside. "Say goodnight to your father."
Inuyasha is bewildered. That's it? No raised voices, no arguing? Was her life really just all cuddles and hugs before she had been orphaned? What the hell kind of whacko parents did she have anyway? No wonder the brat's the way she is.
Kiyomi frowns, crawling out of Aika's lap to latch onto Makotu, who has been suspiciously quiet. She leans in and whispers in his ear so quietly that Inuyasha and Aika are the only ones who hear it, "You'll be here when I wake up?"
"Papa's never been there when I wake up…"
The man holds her tightly and clenches his jaw. Makotu knows something that the rest of the room doesn't. Inuyasha can smell it on him. The half-demon is filled with dread but he doesn't let it show. He can't until the girl can sniff it out for herself. Convenient that they are just putting her to bed now; there is less than an hour until she changes back into her normal, half-demon self. Maybe thirty minutes, give or take?
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," her father answers, pressing his forehead to hers.
He's gripping her tightly and Kiyomi begins to wriggle in his arms a little.
"Ouch, Papa, that's too tight!" She pops her head up over his shoulder once he loosens his grip. "G'night, everyone! See you in the morning, Inuyasha!"
Within moments she's lost inside of her mother's silky robes. Inuyasha's stomach feels like it is full of lead. "Night, pup."
She snaps her head back up and sticks her tongue out at him. "I'm not a puppy! Mama says I'm big and brave!"
He's not gonna argue. "Yeah, ya are. Go to sleep."
Aika rubs her claws gently through Kiyomi's hair. "Goodnight, my little moonbeam."
"G'night, Mama, I love you."
Gosh, it feels really good to be able to say that again!
Her mother holds her close, enveloping the playful child in her gentle embrace. It's the happiest they've ever seen Kiyomi since meeting her. The girl won't stop beaming up at her mother, amazed that she's come at last. Aika hums the little girl lullabies and nuzzles her until she's sound asleep. It hadn't taken long, a few minutes at most. How had she done that so quickly? The last time he checked, the girl won't sleep a wink when she's human.
"Your name… it is Inuyasha, correct?" Aika asks, looking over a sleeping Kiyomi's head. He nods in assent. "My daughter is remarkably fond of you, it seems. You've become almost like a father"—she throws a nasty glance at Makotu—"to her. How long has she been with you now?"
He huffs, "She was on her own for almost a year."
He is glaring at her in a manner that suggests that it is her fault the little girl was orphaned. She answers, "That's not what I asked you. How long have you had my child?"
"A little more than three months now," Kagome answers for him. "She's a wonderful little girl. You should be proud of her."
Aika arches a brow. "Of course my daughter is wonderful. You should consider yourselves fortunate for having spent so much time with her."
Inuyasha snuffs loudly. "No wonder the brat was so spoiled when I met her."
The demoness smiles wryly. "My apologies, it's no secret that I adore her."
"We do as well," Kagome ventures.
She knows that, ultimately, they have no claim to the girl but she can't help but voice her opinions to Aika. Inuyasha will never say it out loud but he'll be absolutely crushed if the girl is taken from them. But if she can't push to keep her—and she won't because that wouldn't be fair to Kiyomi—she can at least try to make sure that she remains in their lives in some way if she does leave. She may be able to ask her mother to bring Kiyomi around to visit once in a while. Or maybe, if they need a place to stay, they could settle close to Kaede's village. It won't be perfect but it's something.
She doesn't want to imagine what Inuyasha will feel if she's gone for good.
There is a flash of aqua blue in Aika's eyes and Inuyasha, Kirara, and Shippo sit up a little straighter. As she speaks, she doesn't direct her attention to them at all, rather to Makotu. "Your concern is no longer necessary. My daughter and I will be leaving come dawn."
Inuyasha's face doesn't fall the way Kagome expects. Rather, his face is set into a challenging glower and he grips Tetsusaiga's hilt as if to suggest that she isn't going to be separated from them without a fight. Makotu also directs his attention to Aika, the woman he'd once loved more than the sun. He stares at his daughter as if she were made of gold.
"The voice… He brought you back as well…" he murmurs. "He told me that only one of us could live."
She nods, gripping the sleeping girl ever tighter. Kiyomi's breathing has evened out and she's now sleeping peacefully in her mother's arms.
"What voice?" Inuyasha demands. "Was it Naraku?!"
His questions are ignored as Aika stares at Makotu with a look of clear disgust. "How do you propose we settle this then?"
"I suggest we take this outside, away from her."
Aika nods, a dark look lacing her smile, and rests her daughter on a small sleeping mat. The girl shifts and sighs in her sleep and Inuyasha is sure that if she were her normal half-demon self that she would have woken. He's struck by the realization that he's afraid for her. Kagome grips Inuyasha's forearm tightly, trying in vain to warn him about the shards… They aren't emanating the same pure aura as before. They aren't completely corrupt but there is certainly a trace of darkness now.
Both of her parents stand, the tension in the hut is palpable and Aika's demonic energy is flowing like a stream. Moving faster than lightning, Makotu snatches one of Kagome's arrows from the quiver that she'd left off to the side when they'd arrived. He had been staring at periodically throughout the evening. In one fluid motion, he jams it into Aika's chest. She shifts slightly and he misses. The arrow is lodged in the demoness's shoulder with a disgusting squelching sound.
The woman's eyes flash that hauntingly dangerous minty blue again. Without another word, she's grabs Makotu by the throat and is dragging him out of the hut with such speed that Inuyasha is almost shoved out with them. Kagome gasps and races to Kiyomi's side but the girl is still sound asleep and unaware of the disaster that is unfolding between her parents. She wants to warn Inuyasha that their jewel shards are now tainted black but he is hot on their heels. He's followed them outside to watch a raging battle unfold.
Aika is just as lithe and graceful in battle as Sesshomaru had described. Her sharp claws are pulsating with magenta energy and she's shooting small blasts of it around blindly, peppering him with burning wounds. Her eyes are completely blue now, without a trace of Kiyomi's signature orchid hue. Makotu grips a katana in his right hand, his left arm has already been sliced open, bleeding freely. It's actually nearly severed. Despite this, Inuyasha is suspicious that she hasn't even tapped into her real power yet.
If Naraku's intent was to kill Makotu then he couldn't have chosen a better matchup; Aika is terrifying and on the verge of fully transforming into a beast larger than the hut they are keeping Kiyomi in. She's a mother whose only quest is to protect her child. It's a truly terrifying sight to behold. Inuyasha can only stand by stunned. He's starting to understand what Sesshomaru was talking about when he called Aika formidable. She's downright petrifying right now.
She circles Makotu cruelly; she's torturing her prey.
"Now, now, my love," Aika croons darkly with a simpering sneer. "Surely you know that I was always going to be the one to raise Kiyomi. You know nothing of our real daughter."
Makotu sighs, watching her as best he can while Aika continues to pace around him slowly. She's no fool, she knows that Makotu was once an accomplished general who can do quite a bit of damage to her if she isn't careful. Not to suggest she can't handle this. She's faced far worse than a mere mortal. A mortal who had once blinded her into believing he admired her and their daughter. She never should have stayed. She should have taken Kiyomi and left with her when she was born.
"And once I've killed you, I'm meant to kill the people who took my baby."
Well, Inuyasha doesn't really like the sound of that at all…
"Mmm," Makotu responds thoughtfully. "What will you tell the girl? That you've killed her father?"
Aika laughs but it isn't the warm and gentle laugh she used with Kiyomi; it's dark, shrill, and bone-chilling. "Kiyomi doesn't give a shit about you. She saw you one night a month because you couldn't be bothered to leave your bitch wife and your precious sons. If you die she will recover within minutes."
Inuyasha frowns; he's got a big problem on his hands. These two are about to come to blows over who is going to take Kiyomi. The part of him that wants to keep the girl safe from all harm, physical or otherwise, wants to scoop her up from the hut and take her far away. He knows that he can't though, Aika will hunt him down within seconds if he tries that. Not that he can't take her on. He just doesn't want to be the one who kills the kid's mom… He doesn't want her to have to see that.
The demoness lunges for Makotu who dodges with only a moment to spare, instead of slicing his belly open, she cuts a gash into his side.
Aika continues her rant, eyes closed and her voice trembling with rage. "Do you even understand how much I sacrificed to be with you? I was a warrior! I was meant for incredible things… And you wasted my love my daughter's love. YOU FUCKING SNAKE! You don't deserve to even look at her!"
The air now reeks of rancid blood. Inuyasha is thankful that the sun hasn't risen and the girl can't smell it yet.
Aika only lunges again, around her left wrist is the same magenta light that is emitting from her nails. She rips it from her wrist and flings it at her opponent. It cuts through his armor and he staggers to the ground. Inuyasha watches the display coldly, it can't just be that Naraku wanted to turn the two lovers against each other? What's the end game here? He's going to have to fight that thing and he's not looking forward to it. That's got to be it. This was to get Aika riled up for a fight with him.
Makotu knows he is going to die again, the distinct sensation of dying is not exactly new to him. Instead of begging for his life like Aika expected, as she'd wanted, he reaches out for her hand. His palms are pierced by her demonic energy and it burns so vividly that he can't even feel it. How has it come to this? The man had promised him that he would see his daughter again. The man had insisted he must wait until Kiyomi was mortal again before he approached her. So he waited. He's spent the past several weeks planning a future full of love and laughter for him and the girl. How did it fall apart like this?
"Aika…"
"Kill her, Makotu, kill her and take what is rightfully yours," the stranger's voice rings in his mind, clouding his heart in darkness.
For only a moment, when she hears him whisper her name Aika's eyes clear and whatever hold Naraku has on her is shaken loose. Behind their eyes is a world of pain. She is rocked by the knowledge that she has been brought back from death to torture her daughter and to kill the man she loved. She's stopped trying to attack him and tears fill her eyes. She can't do it; no matter what hold Naraku has on her she cannot —will not—hurt Makotu. How could she do this?!
"Kill him, Aika. Kill him. And then kill Inuyasha before he takes your daughter again."
She doesn't see the dagger in Makotu's belt and Inuyasha doesn't have enough time to warn her. The warrior plunges it in Aika's chest, her jewel shard following it as he pulls it back. At the same time, Naraku's command rings true and Aika strikes his chest with her claws. She dislodges his shard as well while shattering his sternum in the process. Both share a gaze of unimaginable pain.
The shards are black again, blacker than the night that they've ruined.
Their flesh vanishes as if it were never there at all, leaving behind a pile of bones and fine clothing. It's over, whatever plans Naraku had in store for the two are lost with the two tiny fragments of the Shikon jewel that kept their corpses alive and their souls bound. Now Inuyasha's only task is to have Kagome collect the pieces of the jewel and get Kiyomi as far away from here as possible. He'll explain what happened to the kid but he's not going to let her lay her eyes on the sight in front of him. Footsteps sound behind him, he assumes it's Kagome coming to see what the commotion is about.
"W-where's my mama?"
He's wrong, very wrong…
"Kiyomi, don't—" he tries to warn her, spinning in a half-circle to look at her.
Ah, shit, too late. Her eyes land on the pile of bones and her gasp pierces the still of the dawn sharper than any blade. Her hair is back to its trademark blonde and her puppy ears have flattened against her scalp, almost hidden by her hair.
'Mother? Father?'
He's too stunned to actually move. She'd been sleeping! What the fuck woke her up now of all times?! She's standing by the entrance of the hut with her hands covering her mouth, panting heavily; the sight has knocked the breath out of her. She doesn't even look at him. He might as well not even be standing there for all the kid cares.
He knows that he should reach out for her, grab ahold of her and cover her eyes but he can't bring himself to do it. She's gotta be so upset… She stumbles over to them before he can hold out his hand for her, crawling on all fours when she falls. She goes straight for her mother's robes. Of course, she would; her mother had been her everything until almost a year ago. Behind her eyes is a tiny glimmer of hope that they are hiding beneath the pile of bones.
"M-Mama?" she mewls with a quavering voice, holding her trembling hands over Aika's ribcage. "Mama? W-where'd you go?"
The girl pats her father's armor as if he's still inside, she can't restore their bodies and she knows it. But it doesn't stop her from trying. She collapses on top of her mother's ribcage, she's not moving beyond the ragged breaths that really don't feel like they are working. It feels like she's not even breathing. She had fallen asleep in her mother's arms minutes before, how can they both be gone again?
'MOTHER!'
Kagome gasps behind Inuyasha. She had heard Kiyomi's begging and had rushed out immediately after. She whispers, "Oh God... Those aren't their bones, are they? They can't be..."
Inuyasha only clears his throat. They can be and they are, nothing he says can change that. Kiyomi is completely devastated, shuddering like a leaf and crying hysterically. Shippo wraps his arms around Kagome's leg. The kit is all too familiar with the scene in front of him. How long ago had he watched his father murdered by the Thunder Brothers? He can still clearly remember weeping for his father.
"Oh, Shippo," Kagome whispers, picking the boy up for a hug.
"Is that her ma and pa?" Shippo whispers, his eyes wide with sympathy.
"Kagome," Inuyasha says softly. "We need to get the jewel shards."
She's furious with him for even suggesting it. "We need to go help Kiyomi! How could you think of the shards at a time like this?!"
She tries to walk past him but he holds an arm out to stop her. It's not just Kiyomi crying at this point but her youkai is howling just as loudly, louder than the day she found out that Sango was a demon slayer. He'll deal with it in a minute. He just needs a fucking second to figure out what the hell he needs to do.
"Just..." he falters, "Just give her a minute."
"We can't just leave her like that!" Kagome insists. "We need to move her... we need to bury them. She needs us."
"You think I don't know that?" he snaps harshly. "I'll take care of it, okay?"
Damnit, he didn't mean to yell at Kagome like that. Shit. Two saimyōshō come to collect the two jewel shards, still as black as sin. Just as he thought, it was Naraku behind this. Once they're gone, Inuyasha finally sucks in a breath. Kagome's right, they can't leave her there. He doesn't even want to imagine how she's feeling right now. Okay, step one is just to get her away from their bones. Get them out of her sight. That's easy enough, right? He walks over to her and crouches beside her.
"Hey, c'mon," he tells her softly. Hell, he's even using his super-nice voice. Kagome's not the only one who can be nice. "It's gonna be—"
He reaches out to rest his hand on her shoulder, just to let her know that he's there; that she's not alone. Before he can, he's treated to four sharp claws digging into his arm and then pulling down with a surprising amount of force. That was intentional and he's a little surprised to notice that it hurts.
Before he has time to process the fact that Kiyomi's struck him, she goes in again and this time with teeth that are longer than normal. Inuyasha's heart almost stops. Instinctively, he darts back, self-preservation overriding his instinct to help the kid. The girl screams after him with a guttural snarl escaping her before she grabs her hair and pulls. He recognizes the way she's gripping her head and he knows she's got a splitting headache worse than any migraine.
Her demon is taking over. The girl can't stop it and neither can Inuyasha.
Was this Naraku's plan? Even as a child, a demon can be difficult to reign in. He's not about to kill her so it's not like he can he just swing his sword around and this problem will go away. Hell, it will be a challenge even for him if the pup feels threatened enough. He's confident that he's going to survive but if the girl doesn't calm down, she won't. This is obviously some sort of distraction while Naraku plans something undoubtedly shady. That bastard has gone through all of this trouble and for what?
Kiyomi is suddenly still. Her palms are resting on her mother's bones and her claws have grown significantly; they dig into Aika's silk robes. From the back of her throat, he can hear a trembling growl. Ah, fuck, he's gotta get the others out of the way.
"Kagome," he says slowly, "you guys need to get out of here. And be quiet."
Kagome understands the tone in his voice. Whatever has changed with Kiyomi isn't good. Kirara changes beside Sango and Miroku and everyone but Sango is in the air within thirty-seconds, which feels like an eternity on the ground. Inuyasha growls a low warning to Sango, briefly forgetting that trying to communicate with her that way is utterly useless.
"Sango, you idiot," he whispers. "I'm gonna handle this. If you attack her in your gear then there's gonna be hell to pay."
"I can help," she insists, "I won't hurt her, but I can confine her to a smaller area if you need it. Child demons are tricky, they're crafty."
Heh, at least Sango gets it. It's gonna be a lot easier to get a hold of her if they can corner her. There is a haunting giggle coming from Kiyomi now. She turns slowly, revealing her demon form. It's remarkable, she's the spitting image of Aika; she has the same markings and her eyes are now the same misty blue. She bares her fangs, still smaller than they could be because her adult teeth haven't grown in yet, watching them calculatingly with a gut-twisting sneer. She's panting heavily, the transformation has clearly exhausted her already.
"Kiyomi," he calls out, "ya gotta fight it!"
Her brows knit together. "I'll… kill you."
Her voice is raspy from all of her screaming minutes before. She clicks her claws together, they are starting to glow like her mother's had minutes before. Okay, that could lead to a bit of trouble if she starts trying to use those. Inuyasha knows that all he has to do is knock her out. Full demon or not, she's still just a pup. He doesn't have to hurt her, he's just got to knock her unconscious.
"Sango," he whispers, "I need you to bring her closer but stay away from her claws."
His arm literally feels like it's been burned. He's going to have to check that out later, it may be some kind of poison. He plans to essentially overwhelm her with both of them coming at her at the same time. She might be a demon but she's still a kid and he's sure that she has no concept of focus especially not in this state. If Sango can distract her long enough then it should give him enough time to knock her out.
The girl crouches choking out another garbled snarl. Sango cuts to the girl's left, forcing the demon child to duck right, or that's the plan at least. Rather than running off, Kiyomi charges headfirst into hiraikotsu, latching her little teeth onto the weapon. It's not ideal, but Inuyasha leaps behind her anyway, all he's gotta do is pinch her neck in the right spot and she should go down.
But she's ready for him; instead of being able to subdue her, he takes a bite to his side. Okay, that doesn't feel great at all.
She bounds past him, sliding smoothly from in between his legs back to Sango. She doesn't stop snarling the whole time. Now, she's scrambling up hiraikotsu grinning at Sango's head like a starving wolf. It's actually really creepy. Kagome cries out above them.
The girl misses Sango's head by a hair because she is too busy looking up for the source of the scream. She lets out another ferocious screech that sounds uncomfortably like a wildcat. God, he's got to do something soon. There is absolutely no way that her body can handle the shit going on inside of her. He's willing to bet that, physically, this is painful for her.
"Oi! Kiyomi!" he calls out, trying to divert her attention back to him. He's the only one who is capable of taking her on right now. "You're looking for a fight with me. You leave them out of this! You hear?"
"I hate you!" she shouts as she smoothly turns to face him. "You killed them! I HATE YOU!"
'Kill! Hurt! Fight!'
Okay, that hurts but he has to brush it aside. It's not really her, it's her youkai and right now it's going to say anything to try and distract him. He can't let it work. He's got to get through to her somehow.
"I didn't kill them, pup," he informs her quietly.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she howls. "I'll rip your throat out!"
"Heh, violent little demon, isn't she?"
"Oh yeah?" He braces his feet. "Then come and get me."
She doesn't answer. Instead, she brandishes her glowing claws and bares her teeth at him. He knows that once he gets her down, he'll be able to fix this. All she has to do is calm down enough to use her sense of smell and she'll at least understand. She won't like it, he can't change how it's gonna make her feel, as much as he wants to… But she will at least understand that this was all a trap from the start.
Like a comet, she is streaking across the clearing and roaring her head off. If she were going for stealth this would be considered an epic failure in that department. She manages to scratch his chest but he has succeeded in tapping the exact nerve in her neck he needed to knock her unconscious. Just before her eyes roll back, they flicker back to their floral shade.
"Stupid, pup," he murmurs as he catches her into his chest which burns as if he's been branded. Turns out those claws of Aika's do a hell of a lot more than just scratch and the kid's inherited them. "You left yourself wide open there."
Sango runs up to them. "Inuyasha! Are you alright?!"
"Keh, it's just a couple of scratches. S'nothing." He checks to make sure that the kid is truly out. Once he's sure, he shouts, "You can come down now, Kagome!"
Once on the ground she immediately runs to his side to check on Kiyomi. "Is she okay?!"
"Hmph," he grumbles, "she's just sleepin'. C'mon, we've got a lot of work to do."
She's definitely not okay though. She's not going to be okay for a while after this… He hands the girl over to Sango. He's got two piles of bones to bury before she wakes up. He doesn't want her to have to look at them again.
Hell, he wishes he didn't have to look at them again.