A/N - Many, many apologies!! I write fanfics for other shows, and I lost track of this one! I hope this chap was worth the wait. I'll update sooner, I promise!
Neko Demon
Chapter 4
The sun set once again into the trees, but it remained unnoticed by the part demons below, walking along without speaking. IY had resolved not to say a word to his daughter unless she told him what exactly was going on. Koinuma swore not to say a word to IY until he removed the prayer beads.
She got off the track a few times. Each time, IY moved forward and nudged her in the proper direction. It annoyed her, but she kept her mouth shut. At least his actions implied that he cared for her, in a small way. Inu-Yasha knew where the area where the witch lived, but had never actually seen her, or her home.
At dusk, they came across a young cat demon slashing down a tree. With one swipe of his claws, the boy shredded the tree to several neat stacks of paper. Even Inu-Yasha's eyes widened at the expertise of such a young demon.
"Hey kid," he called. "Know where the Neko Miko is?"
The kid looked up and IY, turned pale, then ran off into the woods out of site. "Nice going, Tousan," mocked Koinuma.
"So, you finally decided to speak to me?"
Koinuma bit her tongue before following her father in a chase after the neko-demon child.
The small creature sped through the trees, algilly avoiding all bushes and branches. The dogs behind him simply ran so quickly, they almost flew on top! The cat hopped into the trees and jumped from branch to branch. As if specified in a plan, Koinuma followed the cat's actions while her father ran ahead, beating both of them at the riverbank. The nearest tree across the river was too far to get to, so the cat was trapped up a tree! ^_^
Naturally afriad of water, the cat hissed at his preditors. Koinuma tripped him and he fell right into IY's open arms. "What's yer name?"
The cat demon only fidgetted, too timid to fight back.
"Toranoko?" A beautiful cat-demon with black fur, green eyes, and bluish-white hair rushed forward. Her purple dress and cloak billowed behind her. "Toranoko! What were you doing to these dog-demons!? This is Inu-Yasha, the great fighter!"
IY's ears perked up in slight surprise. "You know me?"
"Only by reputation." The cat woman took Toranoko into her arms. "Naraku was responsible for my sister's death. Since then I've had to care for her child." She stroked Toranoko, making him purr. "The poor dear has been very skiddish and mute since then."
"Are you the Neko Miko?"
"That I am. Do you have a favor to ask of me?"
Koinuma, awed by the magnificent presence of this beautiful demon, fell to her knees in a praying position. "Oh, please holy cat woman! My mother is dying of a curse from a strange demon! I need the cure right away! Please! I BEG you!"
The three other demons stared at the prostrating girl, Toranoko in confusion, the Neko Miko with sympathy, and IY with a mixture of shock and annoyance. "Follow me, child," ordered the cat, and she walked atop the river to a group of hanging vines. With one stroke of her hand, the vines parted, and a small hut appeared in the darkness of the forest.
"Boy, she likes her privacy," muttered IY to himself.
The inside of the hut was modest: A table, two chairs, a fireplace with a large cauldron, shelves of books and potion ingredients, trunks with clothes and cloths, and dishes and cups. The cat woman set up a small bowl and began mixing weird items within the already glowing contents. Toranoko offered Koinuma a seat, hich she took. When he offered one to IY, he waved it away, prefering to stand.
The seat was given to the Neko Miko, who sat in front of it and waved her arms around her bowl. A mist billowed from its depths and circled twice around Koinuma. IY shifted his positions slightly. "I know you are protective of the girl, Inu-Yasha-sama," said the cat woman, keeping her concentration of the smoke, "but remain patient a small time longer. Now, child, tell up your story."
Taking a deep breath, Koinuma began:
"Ever since my great-grandfather died, my mother has taken charge of the family shrine. For as long as I can remember, I have lived and played under the Sacred Tree's branches. When the shrine was doing badly with money, Mom started writing stories to help the shrine earn some profits. They were about her travels in this era with Dad, and called 'Inu-Yasha: A Girl's Best Friend.'
"Well, the publicity not only helped, but put the Higurashi Shrine on the map! Why, toursits came regularly to meet her and have her tell them stories about her past. The tree attracted the most attention; people could imagine Inu-Yasha pinned to it, and they took pictures, and everything! My mom even had the well boarded up so no one would fall it attempting to cross over to this time."
"Sounds like it attracted a lot of attention," said the demon, watching the smoke now swirl in front of Koinuma. "Tell me, was some unwanted?"
"Not really, until now. Two days ago, at closing time, a man came all dressed in dark clothes and a hat the covered his eyes. He had this long, silvery hair that reached past his waist, and pointed nails. Uncle Souta saw him hanging around, and asked who he was. The man said he just wanted to see Mom alone in the forest behind the shrine at midnight.
"Uncle Souta told my mom, and she thought Daddy had come back for her. She agreed to go, but I had to stay home. She wanted to tell Daddy gently that I ws his daughter. She said it would be mean to just pop out of nowhere."
"It was," IY interjected.
"But it was the night of a full moon, so I was a human. No one would notice me, so I followed anyway."
"Figures."
"Inu-Yasha! Please be quiet! Continue, child." The smoke began to swirl around together as Koinuma went on.
"Mommy met the guy at a clearing, and he hugged her. Mother thought that it definitely was Daddy, and hugged back, crying. But then he had this whip in his hands, and-"
"Whip," asked the Neko Miko.
"Yeah, a long green whip with spikes. He wrapped Mom around it before she knew what happened. Oh, I never saw Mom bleed before! I panicked and . . . and . . ." Koinuma stared crying. "I'm so sorry! I got scared! I ran to Uncle Souta. He found Mom bleeding and looking funny."
"Define 'looking funny,'" said IY, his muscles tense.
"Her eyes were all pink and green, kinda glowing. She didn't move or wake up or anything! I hugged her to make it okay, but nothing happened! Uncle Souta told me to go to the Sengoku Era, get the Shikon no Tama to get stronger, and find my father for protection."
The smoke began to form a person with long hair, glowing red eyes, ears like a jackal, green robes, and a long whip. Though the picture was blurry, IY could feel a chill from the mere image of the creature.
Koinuma's face paled. "That's him! That's him!"
The Neko Miko shook her head. "The smoke reveals your assailant to be Da-hak, one of the most powerful, terrible demons after Naraku. Allow me to explain:
"Many centuries ago, invaders entered these lands and waged war, demons and humans alike. Natural enemy beasts had to join forces in order to bring an effective assault. Among them were Cassiusu and the strongest of all, the Great Dog Demon.
"After disposing of the humans and demons from China, Cassiusu attempted to over-through the Great Dog Demon and claim the Kyushu territories as his own. Naraku and Da-hak were his lackies at the time, but they betrayed their master, and Cassiusu was defeated.
"As you know, when a demon eats another's heart, that demon acquires the abilities and power of its predecessor. Naraku and Da-hak feasted upon their master, sharing the heart so each could grow equally stronger. Naraku received the ability to shape-shift, and Da-hak got control of the Vine Whip. The whip curses those who fall into its clutches, giving very few days to live."
While she spoke, the smoke formed the images to her story. At the close, she waved her hands, whisking it away, then dumped the contents out the window.
Inu-Yasha and Koinuma stood silent, waiting for a continuation. "So," asked IY irritated, "can you save her?"
"I have not the draft of potion to save her life. To brew the antidote takes but a day, however the ingredients are difficult to obtain. It would take me months, and Kagome-sama now has two weeks at most!"
Koinuma stood up, tears still brimming her eyes. "Give me the list and I'll find every last bit! I will make up for not saving Mom in the first place."
The Neko Miko's eyes widened, then relaxed in a patronizing manner. "Dear child, your spirit is in the right place, but it will waver. Besides, you are far too young and inexperienced to survive this world alone."
"She won't be alone." IY put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I'm going with her. To save Kagome, I'd give my life!" Koinuma looked up at him and smiled.
"I warn you," said the Neko Miko, "you must hurry. Here is the list and a map of where the items can be found. You have until the turn of the cycle. Good luck."
IY gulped. "Turn of the cycle? You mean, the new moon?"
Neko Demon
Chapter 4
The sun set once again into the trees, but it remained unnoticed by the part demons below, walking along without speaking. IY had resolved not to say a word to his daughter unless she told him what exactly was going on. Koinuma swore not to say a word to IY until he removed the prayer beads.
She got off the track a few times. Each time, IY moved forward and nudged her in the proper direction. It annoyed her, but she kept her mouth shut. At least his actions implied that he cared for her, in a small way. Inu-Yasha knew where the area where the witch lived, but had never actually seen her, or her home.
At dusk, they came across a young cat demon slashing down a tree. With one swipe of his claws, the boy shredded the tree to several neat stacks of paper. Even Inu-Yasha's eyes widened at the expertise of such a young demon.
"Hey kid," he called. "Know where the Neko Miko is?"
The kid looked up and IY, turned pale, then ran off into the woods out of site. "Nice going, Tousan," mocked Koinuma.
"So, you finally decided to speak to me?"
Koinuma bit her tongue before following her father in a chase after the neko-demon child.
The small creature sped through the trees, algilly avoiding all bushes and branches. The dogs behind him simply ran so quickly, they almost flew on top! The cat hopped into the trees and jumped from branch to branch. As if specified in a plan, Koinuma followed the cat's actions while her father ran ahead, beating both of them at the riverbank. The nearest tree across the river was too far to get to, so the cat was trapped up a tree! ^_^
Naturally afriad of water, the cat hissed at his preditors. Koinuma tripped him and he fell right into IY's open arms. "What's yer name?"
The cat demon only fidgetted, too timid to fight back.
"Toranoko?" A beautiful cat-demon with black fur, green eyes, and bluish-white hair rushed forward. Her purple dress and cloak billowed behind her. "Toranoko! What were you doing to these dog-demons!? This is Inu-Yasha, the great fighter!"
IY's ears perked up in slight surprise. "You know me?"
"Only by reputation." The cat woman took Toranoko into her arms. "Naraku was responsible for my sister's death. Since then I've had to care for her child." She stroked Toranoko, making him purr. "The poor dear has been very skiddish and mute since then."
"Are you the Neko Miko?"
"That I am. Do you have a favor to ask of me?"
Koinuma, awed by the magnificent presence of this beautiful demon, fell to her knees in a praying position. "Oh, please holy cat woman! My mother is dying of a curse from a strange demon! I need the cure right away! Please! I BEG you!"
The three other demons stared at the prostrating girl, Toranoko in confusion, the Neko Miko with sympathy, and IY with a mixture of shock and annoyance. "Follow me, child," ordered the cat, and she walked atop the river to a group of hanging vines. With one stroke of her hand, the vines parted, and a small hut appeared in the darkness of the forest.
"Boy, she likes her privacy," muttered IY to himself.
The inside of the hut was modest: A table, two chairs, a fireplace with a large cauldron, shelves of books and potion ingredients, trunks with clothes and cloths, and dishes and cups. The cat woman set up a small bowl and began mixing weird items within the already glowing contents. Toranoko offered Koinuma a seat, hich she took. When he offered one to IY, he waved it away, prefering to stand.
The seat was given to the Neko Miko, who sat in front of it and waved her arms around her bowl. A mist billowed from its depths and circled twice around Koinuma. IY shifted his positions slightly. "I know you are protective of the girl, Inu-Yasha-sama," said the cat woman, keeping her concentration of the smoke, "but remain patient a small time longer. Now, child, tell up your story."
Taking a deep breath, Koinuma began:
"Ever since my great-grandfather died, my mother has taken charge of the family shrine. For as long as I can remember, I have lived and played under the Sacred Tree's branches. When the shrine was doing badly with money, Mom started writing stories to help the shrine earn some profits. They were about her travels in this era with Dad, and called 'Inu-Yasha: A Girl's Best Friend.'
"Well, the publicity not only helped, but put the Higurashi Shrine on the map! Why, toursits came regularly to meet her and have her tell them stories about her past. The tree attracted the most attention; people could imagine Inu-Yasha pinned to it, and they took pictures, and everything! My mom even had the well boarded up so no one would fall it attempting to cross over to this time."
"Sounds like it attracted a lot of attention," said the demon, watching the smoke now swirl in front of Koinuma. "Tell me, was some unwanted?"
"Not really, until now. Two days ago, at closing time, a man came all dressed in dark clothes and a hat the covered his eyes. He had this long, silvery hair that reached past his waist, and pointed nails. Uncle Souta saw him hanging around, and asked who he was. The man said he just wanted to see Mom alone in the forest behind the shrine at midnight.
"Uncle Souta told my mom, and she thought Daddy had come back for her. She agreed to go, but I had to stay home. She wanted to tell Daddy gently that I ws his daughter. She said it would be mean to just pop out of nowhere."
"It was," IY interjected.
"But it was the night of a full moon, so I was a human. No one would notice me, so I followed anyway."
"Figures."
"Inu-Yasha! Please be quiet! Continue, child." The smoke began to swirl around together as Koinuma went on.
"Mommy met the guy at a clearing, and he hugged her. Mother thought that it definitely was Daddy, and hugged back, crying. But then he had this whip in his hands, and-"
"Whip," asked the Neko Miko.
"Yeah, a long green whip with spikes. He wrapped Mom around it before she knew what happened. Oh, I never saw Mom bleed before! I panicked and . . . and . . ." Koinuma stared crying. "I'm so sorry! I got scared! I ran to Uncle Souta. He found Mom bleeding and looking funny."
"Define 'looking funny,'" said IY, his muscles tense.
"Her eyes were all pink and green, kinda glowing. She didn't move or wake up or anything! I hugged her to make it okay, but nothing happened! Uncle Souta told me to go to the Sengoku Era, get the Shikon no Tama to get stronger, and find my father for protection."
The smoke began to form a person with long hair, glowing red eyes, ears like a jackal, green robes, and a long whip. Though the picture was blurry, IY could feel a chill from the mere image of the creature.
Koinuma's face paled. "That's him! That's him!"
The Neko Miko shook her head. "The smoke reveals your assailant to be Da-hak, one of the most powerful, terrible demons after Naraku. Allow me to explain:
"Many centuries ago, invaders entered these lands and waged war, demons and humans alike. Natural enemy beasts had to join forces in order to bring an effective assault. Among them were Cassiusu and the strongest of all, the Great Dog Demon.
"After disposing of the humans and demons from China, Cassiusu attempted to over-through the Great Dog Demon and claim the Kyushu territories as his own. Naraku and Da-hak were his lackies at the time, but they betrayed their master, and Cassiusu was defeated.
"As you know, when a demon eats another's heart, that demon acquires the abilities and power of its predecessor. Naraku and Da-hak feasted upon their master, sharing the heart so each could grow equally stronger. Naraku received the ability to shape-shift, and Da-hak got control of the Vine Whip. The whip curses those who fall into its clutches, giving very few days to live."
While she spoke, the smoke formed the images to her story. At the close, she waved her hands, whisking it away, then dumped the contents out the window.
Inu-Yasha and Koinuma stood silent, waiting for a continuation. "So," asked IY irritated, "can you save her?"
"I have not the draft of potion to save her life. To brew the antidote takes but a day, however the ingredients are difficult to obtain. It would take me months, and Kagome-sama now has two weeks at most!"
Koinuma stood up, tears still brimming her eyes. "Give me the list and I'll find every last bit! I will make up for not saving Mom in the first place."
The Neko Miko's eyes widened, then relaxed in a patronizing manner. "Dear child, your spirit is in the right place, but it will waver. Besides, you are far too young and inexperienced to survive this world alone."
"She won't be alone." IY put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I'm going with her. To save Kagome, I'd give my life!" Koinuma looked up at him and smiled.
"I warn you," said the Neko Miko, "you must hurry. Here is the list and a map of where the items can be found. You have until the turn of the cycle. Good luck."
IY gulped. "Turn of the cycle? You mean, the new moon?"