Lost
By Usako Hashiba
Note
Time to clarify things about my story - Shori is not stronger than Inu. I just wasn't clear but in that fight with the gaki, it very simply got LUCKY. Same situation, different chain of events, Inu would have won hands down.
This chapter takes us away from Inu and the gang but don't worry we'll be back with them soon.
Disclaimer
Inu-yasha and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I only own the characters that I created in this story.
Chapter Six - Eyes of Another
He could still see her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wipe her image from his memory.
~He~ was tall with flame red hair cascading down to his waist and cool vivid green eyes. He was also an inu youkai. His name was Kino.
Kino gave up sleeping, smoothing the fur of his long, fluffy tail which had puffed with agitation. He growled softly as he rubbed his temples, mind inadvertably returning to the source of his problem.
Shori. Her name and memory haunted him like an old coffee stain. It wasn't hatred that haunted him about the little inu hanyou, it was guilt. He could still see her limp body on the ground, unmoving. She had looked dead. He realized soon enough that she wasn't dead, merely in some kind of coma.
A glance at the wall of his cave gave him an image of happier times, bittersweet now. A scroll painted with her image, carefully maintained to prevent damage. In the painting, the young hanyou was dressed in red kimono instead of her usual clothes. A feat he was rather proud of. She was very stubborn and had not wanted to change into the less concealing kimono. Long silver-white hair was whipped by the wind. The artist even managed to capture the glint of annoyance in her gold eyes.
He hated the fact that he cared so much for her. He was a youkai, he should hate the little half-breed but instead he fell in love with the beautiful hanyou. Kino could easily recalled their first few meetings. He was traveling through the woods when he came across a very angry inu hanyou female trashing the forest. He thought it would fun to kill the hanyou, he was in the mood for a hunt.
The hanyou surprised him. She was very strong for her size and fast too. She nearly matched his speed, an immense feat for a hanyou. She was also an experienced warrior, refusing to give even with the very painful injuries he inflicted. Privately he had been impressed. He barely managed to get away from that fight with a rather serious wound and numerous small wounds.
He spent the next two days licking his wounds, trying to figure out how that hanyou had beaten him. It just didn't seem possible but she had. To add insult to injury, literally, she had left him leave without killing him. It made his blood boil.
He did his research before trying again. He learned about her and the fact she was the daughter of Lord Inutashio and a powerful human Miko. That explained her power. He discovered that Shori had quite a reputation for defeating larger youkai. Persistence had uncovered another fact - she had guardian katana hidden in her body. A sword that could both take life and save it. Inutashio had had it made.
He found and attacked the hanyou. Unsurprisingly she fought well but he was prepared this time. He managed to get a choke hold on the girl and gouged out her left eye where the sword was hidden.
Kino closed his eyes, he could still hear her pained cry when he ripped out her eye. Even that today, the sound of her cry had struck something deep within him. With her previous injuries and only one eye, he should have been able to kill her easily. However, something unexpected happened.
Her remaining eye had turned red and the pupil vivid blue. A purple streak had appeared on each of her cheeks and her fangs lengthened. Her claws lengthened and her scent changed. She smelled and looked more like full inu youkai.
She had been wild, mindless being and all but killed him. The other youkai he had brought with him she slaughtered mercilessly. He managed to get enough strength to knock her unconscious. Almost immediately her scent returned to normal and changes vanished as if they were never there.
Kino smiled slightly. For some reason he couldn't kill her, just couldn't bring himself to. He took her back to his cave and nursed her back to health. Naturally she was very suspicious and untrusting of him, often attempting to leave before she fully recovered. Surprisingly to him, her gouged eye grew back. Part of the reason she didn't fully leave was she wanted her katana.
'She had the right,' Kino mused. 'Her father left it for her.' He quickly learned just how stubborn the hanyou was. Their bitter fights and arguments turned to affection and care long before they realized it. He had fallen in love with a stubborn little hanyou. She eventually told him about herself and her twin brother. Their parents, life together, and how they parted. Kino had been happy. For the first time since he was a pup, he was happy. Then something happened. Without being provoked, Shori had suddenly attacked him! He returned her attack after some surprise. In the ensuing fight, she had attempted to use her weapon but some power inferred and canceled the attack. When the dust cleared, she was down, liking like she was dead. Another hanyou appeared and Kino was able to recognize why her scent was off. It had not been her initially, it had been this hanyou. In a rage, Kino managed to drive him off. Kino's hands tightened on his tail, almost painfully. He had learned of that vile bastard's name - Naraku. That bastard had ruined everything. Even if Shori ever woke up, she probably thought he had betrayed her and hate him. He'd never be able to regain her trust. But he had to see her again. He did that sometimes. Looked at her unconscious, ageless body hidden in the cave where he left her with the now old priest. Touched her face, feel her silky hair through his fingers, gently scratch her ears. Mind made up, Kino packed his bag and headed for the cave.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Kino stared at the old priest in disbelief.
"Awake? What do you mean she woke up?" Kino asked.
"About a month ago. She left to find her brother," the priest answered with a slight smile. "Shori-san seems to have some severe memory loss through."
"Memory loss?" He asked. He thought that might happen but didn't know for sure.
"Yes, she could remember her name, her heritage, her twin brother but nothing else."
A spark of hope flared in Kino. Maybe there was a chance, a chance to reconcile with Shori. He bid the priest farewell, making plans as he headed for his cave.
Gomen, it's short. Coming next
Chapter Seven - Back to Work
By Usako Hashiba
Note
Time to clarify things about my story - Shori is not stronger than Inu. I just wasn't clear but in that fight with the gaki, it very simply got LUCKY. Same situation, different chain of events, Inu would have won hands down.
This chapter takes us away from Inu and the gang but don't worry we'll be back with them soon.
Disclaimer
Inu-yasha and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I only own the characters that I created in this story.
Chapter Six - Eyes of Another
He could still see her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wipe her image from his memory.
~He~ was tall with flame red hair cascading down to his waist and cool vivid green eyes. He was also an inu youkai. His name was Kino.
Kino gave up sleeping, smoothing the fur of his long, fluffy tail which had puffed with agitation. He growled softly as he rubbed his temples, mind inadvertably returning to the source of his problem.
Shori. Her name and memory haunted him like an old coffee stain. It wasn't hatred that haunted him about the little inu hanyou, it was guilt. He could still see her limp body on the ground, unmoving. She had looked dead. He realized soon enough that she wasn't dead, merely in some kind of coma.
A glance at the wall of his cave gave him an image of happier times, bittersweet now. A scroll painted with her image, carefully maintained to prevent damage. In the painting, the young hanyou was dressed in red kimono instead of her usual clothes. A feat he was rather proud of. She was very stubborn and had not wanted to change into the less concealing kimono. Long silver-white hair was whipped by the wind. The artist even managed to capture the glint of annoyance in her gold eyes.
He hated the fact that he cared so much for her. He was a youkai, he should hate the little half-breed but instead he fell in love with the beautiful hanyou. Kino could easily recalled their first few meetings. He was traveling through the woods when he came across a very angry inu hanyou female trashing the forest. He thought it would fun to kill the hanyou, he was in the mood for a hunt.
The hanyou surprised him. She was very strong for her size and fast too. She nearly matched his speed, an immense feat for a hanyou. She was also an experienced warrior, refusing to give even with the very painful injuries he inflicted. Privately he had been impressed. He barely managed to get away from that fight with a rather serious wound and numerous small wounds.
He spent the next two days licking his wounds, trying to figure out how that hanyou had beaten him. It just didn't seem possible but she had. To add insult to injury, literally, she had left him leave without killing him. It made his blood boil.
He did his research before trying again. He learned about her and the fact she was the daughter of Lord Inutashio and a powerful human Miko. That explained her power. He discovered that Shori had quite a reputation for defeating larger youkai. Persistence had uncovered another fact - she had guardian katana hidden in her body. A sword that could both take life and save it. Inutashio had had it made.
He found and attacked the hanyou. Unsurprisingly she fought well but he was prepared this time. He managed to get a choke hold on the girl and gouged out her left eye where the sword was hidden.
Kino closed his eyes, he could still hear her pained cry when he ripped out her eye. Even that today, the sound of her cry had struck something deep within him. With her previous injuries and only one eye, he should have been able to kill her easily. However, something unexpected happened.
Her remaining eye had turned red and the pupil vivid blue. A purple streak had appeared on each of her cheeks and her fangs lengthened. Her claws lengthened and her scent changed. She smelled and looked more like full inu youkai.
She had been wild, mindless being and all but killed him. The other youkai he had brought with him she slaughtered mercilessly. He managed to get enough strength to knock her unconscious. Almost immediately her scent returned to normal and changes vanished as if they were never there.
Kino smiled slightly. For some reason he couldn't kill her, just couldn't bring himself to. He took her back to his cave and nursed her back to health. Naturally she was very suspicious and untrusting of him, often attempting to leave before she fully recovered. Surprisingly to him, her gouged eye grew back. Part of the reason she didn't fully leave was she wanted her katana.
'She had the right,' Kino mused. 'Her father left it for her.' He quickly learned just how stubborn the hanyou was. Their bitter fights and arguments turned to affection and care long before they realized it. He had fallen in love with a stubborn little hanyou. She eventually told him about herself and her twin brother. Their parents, life together, and how they parted. Kino had been happy. For the first time since he was a pup, he was happy. Then something happened. Without being provoked, Shori had suddenly attacked him! He returned her attack after some surprise. In the ensuing fight, she had attempted to use her weapon but some power inferred and canceled the attack. When the dust cleared, she was down, liking like she was dead. Another hanyou appeared and Kino was able to recognize why her scent was off. It had not been her initially, it had been this hanyou. In a rage, Kino managed to drive him off. Kino's hands tightened on his tail, almost painfully. He had learned of that vile bastard's name - Naraku. That bastard had ruined everything. Even if Shori ever woke up, she probably thought he had betrayed her and hate him. He'd never be able to regain her trust. But he had to see her again. He did that sometimes. Looked at her unconscious, ageless body hidden in the cave where he left her with the now old priest. Touched her face, feel her silky hair through his fingers, gently scratch her ears. Mind made up, Kino packed his bag and headed for the cave.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Kino stared at the old priest in disbelief.
"Awake? What do you mean she woke up?" Kino asked.
"About a month ago. She left to find her brother," the priest answered with a slight smile. "Shori-san seems to have some severe memory loss through."
"Memory loss?" He asked. He thought that might happen but didn't know for sure.
"Yes, she could remember her name, her heritage, her twin brother but nothing else."
A spark of hope flared in Kino. Maybe there was a chance, a chance to reconcile with Shori. He bid the priest farewell, making plans as he headed for his cave.
Gomen, it's short. Coming next
Chapter Seven - Back to Work