InuYasha: A Spirit Lives On

Chapter 4: Attacks of an Imposter

Toshiro ran through the cool forest air. Something was after him, but he didn't know who or what it was. "InuYasha!" a voice cried. 'Huh? InuYasha?' Toshiro thought. An arrow soared through the air, pierced him in the chest, and pinned him to the tree that was behind him. He felt something fall from his fingers and looked down to see the Shikon Jewel. 'The Jewel! In its entirety!' Toshiro thought. White hair fell all around his face. He pulled a strand of it around and glanced at it. 'My hair......it's white! Am I.... really InuYasha?' Toshiro wondered. He looked at his attacker. He saw a young girl with long, black hair, dressed in a priestess' outfit, still holding up her bow. 'She has been mortally wounded,' Toshiro realized, looking at her bloodstained shoulder, 'Did I do that to her?' Toshiro woke up with a loud gasp. 'How come I have never had dreams of my previous life before? Is it because.... she's here?' Toshiro thought, sitting down on front of Akiko. 'That girl was the priestess, Kikyo,' Toshiro realized. Akiko stirred and woke up. "Huh? Something the matter Toshiro?" Akiko asked him. "A dream..." he started, ".....of my previous life." "What was it of?" Akiko asked in astonishment. "It was of Priestess Kikyo, pinning me to a tree with her arrow," Toshiro replied, "I have been told of incidents of my previous life, but I've never actually seen them. It was just a dream, but I could feel the pain of the arrow." "That's probably not the only dream you're going to have like that," Akiko said. "Sometimes I wonder why....why I was the one chosen to reincarnate as InuYasha...." Toshiro said. "Same reason I was chosen to be the one with the jewel shard inside me. It's destiny," she replied, sitting up. She gave Toshiro a faint smile. "You're right," Toshiro said, "If we waste our time fretting about why we are who we are, we'll never find Rejiro." 'But..... after our journey is complete, what will happen to Akiko? Will she leave and go back to her own time?' Toshiro wondered. He winced of the thought of Akiko leaving. 'I can't deny it anymore. That girl is the best thing thats happened to me, and I know it,' Toshiro thought. He got closer to Akiko. 'Oh no! Not again!' Akiko thought. Still, for some reason, she couldn't make herself move away from him. He put his arms around her and embraced her. Hesitating a bit, she embraced him back. "Akiko, I need to tell you something," Toshiro said. "What is it?" she replied. "I know the cause of you coming to this time is to restore the jewel shard, but I....I....I wish...for you..." All of the sudden, heat and embers filled the air. "What the hell?!" Toshiro said, "What happened?" "A shower of embers?" Akiko said. Akiko looked around. "It's coming from over there!" Akiko said, pointing to the North. Toshiro drew Tetsusaiga, while Akiko gathered up everything as fast as she could. She scooped Miki up in her arms. "There's going to be a battle," Toshiro said. They hurried deeper into the forest, where they found a huge village consumed in flames. Not a single person was in sight. "That scent..." Toshiro began. "What? The smoke?" Akiko asked. "No not that...... this is a wolf youkai village," he replied. "Wolf youkai? You mean like the infamous Koga?" Akiko asked. "You know of him?" Toshiro questioned. "I've heard of him," Akiko replied. "I wonder who set all of these fires," Toshiro said. "Some one with a pure evil intent," Akiko said. "Yah think?" Toshiro said sarcastically. "Ooo, you get on my nerves!" Akiko said. 'He's so sensitive one minute and then the next he's so...so....InuYasha!' Akiko thought. "That smell," Toshiro said as he narrowed his eyes, "Is getting stronger." "What do you mean?!" Akiko asked, nervously. She turned around to look behind her. She turned back around when she heard the painful gasp Toshiro uttered and watched as he fell to the ground. He had claw marks going down his back. Akiko was speechless in fear. "Damn hanyou," she heard a voice say, "You killed my brethern and left me in a pile of ashes to rot!" She turned to see a wolf youkai in human form. "I don't know what the hell your talking about!" Toshiro said as he stumbled back to his feet. "You are the one that set fire to our villiage!" the wolf hanyou said, "Damn you!" "It couldn't have been Toshiro!" Akiko said, "He hasn't even been here before!" The wolf youkai lunged at Toshiro again, going to attack. Toshiro held the Tetsusaiga up in front of his face and it transformed right as the wolf youkai's claws would have pierced his skin. The second he touched it, it sent him flying backwards. "I will not give up that easily," the wolf youkai said, jumping stright back up to his feet, "Why did you kill my bretheren?" "Easy answer - I didn't!" Toshiro replied. "You will perish by my blade," the wolf youkai said, "I, Masaki, the wolf youkai, will be the one to slaughter you, avenging my wolf youkai brothers!" "You want a piece of me? Come get it!" Toshiro yelled. Masaki drew his katana. He charged at Toshiro, who raised Tetsusaiga to swing it. He continued to head toward Toshiro, but then suddenly ran off to the side toward Akiko. "No!" Toshiro cried. Masaki swung the blade, but missed as Akiko dropped to her feet. The blade got stuck in the tree that was behind her. Akiko gently laid Miki beside her on the ground. As Masaki struggled to pull the blade out of the tree, Akiko stood up behind him. She was glowing with a bright pink aura. 'The power of the jewel shard!' Toshiro thought. Masaki looked at Akiko in fear and awe. 'She has the power of a priestess. I can sense it!' Masaki thought. Akiko extended her index and middle fingers and touched Masaki on the forehead. He instantly froze and passed out. The pink aura faded away and Akiko fell to her knees. "I had no idea," Akiko said, "That I could harness the power of the jewel shard." She remained on the ground, a little energy drained from the experience. "Akiko!" Toshiro said, rushing to her side. "Toshiro, your back..." Akiko said. "It's just a scratch," Toshiro replied, reaching his hand behind his back. As he pulled it back around, it was drenched in blood. "Okay, maybe more than a scratch," Toshiro said. "We probably should bind his hands and feet," Akiko said, pointing to Masaki, "before he wakes up and tries to kill you again. Maybe we can get him to talk sensibly and we can try to figure out what's going on." "Yea," Toshiro replied, picking up Masaki and tieing his hands behind his back and his feet together. He leaned him against a nearby tree. As Toshiro was doing all of this, Akiko took the same blanket that she ripped a bandage of for Miki and ripped off a few more. "I might as well get used to the fact that I'm not going to have a blanket," Akiko said, "Come here Toshiro." He sat down in front of her. She reached out, undid his shirt, and pulled it off. "Uh...uh....what are you doing?" Toshiro asked as his face began to blush. "Toshiro you hentai!" Akiko shrieked. She held up the bandage. "Oh....." Toshiro said, still turning red. She pulled him into her arms and started wrapping the bandages around him. He rested his head on her chest. Akiko became uneasy, considering Toshiro's perverse comment. She finished wrapping the bandages and tied them at the ends. "Okay Toshiro," Akiko said. No answer. "Toshiro," she said again. Still no answer. "He's asleep," she realized.

She let him lay in her arms until she heard Masaki start to wake up. He opened his eyes and glared at her. 'I don't remember this wench being with that half-breed whenever he set fire to the village,' Masaki thought, 'There's something strange going on." "Who are you?" Masaki asked her. "I am Akiko," she replied. "How do you have the power of a priestess?" Masaki asked. "Why does that matter to you?" Akiko questioned. "You will tell me who you are or your little boyfriend will meet his demise!" Masaki threatened. "He is not my boyfriend!" Akiko yelled, standing up and suddenly dropping Toshiro. "Ow!" Toshiro yelled. "I'd like to see you threaten him again, being tied up and all!" Akiko said. Masaki gave her an evil look and snickered. He stood up. Not his hands nor his feet were tied anymore. Somehow he had drawn his katana and cut through the ropes. He dashed toward Toshiro. Then all of the sudden, a screeching meow is heard and Miki is surrounded by flames. The flames fade away and a large cat youkai stood before them. 'Miki's wounds are healed!' Akiko thought, 'Oh of course! She's a youkai and a youkai's wounds would only take half a day to heal!' Miki charged forward in an attempt to strike Masaki. He dodged her and lept at Akiko. He grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder, and ran. "No! You bastard!" Toshiro yelled, "Miki! Hurry! Let's follow them. He jumped on Miki's back and they flew off after them. 'Dammit, he's following us,' Masaki thought. "Put me down!" Akiko yelled. "Shut up wench!" Masaki snapped. He stopped and put his hand over her mouth. He looked around and saw no sign of anybody. "You are the chosen girl, aren't you?" he asked. Akiko's eyes got wide. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, "So here's the deal, you are going to help me by using your powers whether you like it or not. And my first victim will be that mutt boyfriend of yours." Akiko pushed his hand away. "How many times do I have to tell you! Toshiro is not your enemy! I don't know who you saw, but it wasn't him!" she said. "I beg to differ," he replied. "You have done well Masaki," a voice said out of no where. "Huh?" they both said. A figure stepped out of the shadows. "Toshiro!" Akiko cried. "Not exactly," he said. Akiko watched as his hair turned red and eyes turned a forest green. "Who the hell are you?" Masaki asked. "I knew a stupid wolf youkai driven to rage would do my bidding," the Toshiro imposter said, "Thanks for bringing the girl." He stepped up to Masaki and hit him with the back of his hand. The force of the blow was so strong that it knocked Masaki out. "Hello Akiko," the imposter said, "You are probably wondering who I am, aren't you?" he asked. "Not particularly," Akiko replied. "I am Yataro, and I'm soon going to be the single most powerful being in this world," he said. "I'm charmed, really," Akiko said sarcastically. "I would watch my tongue, girl," he said darkly, "There's no one around to save you." He stared so coldly that it struck fear into her heart. "You have the jewel shard," Yataro said, "You will give it to me!" He drew a dagger. "No you don't!" Toshiro yelled, jumping down from Miki. He stopped the blade from piercing her heart, but not before it had already sliced the flesh right below her collarbone. "Who are you?" Toshiro growled. Yataro just smirked and disappeared into the shadows. He turned to Akiko, whose hand was trying to stop the bleeding of her cut. "He said, that is name was Yataro," she said, "And he has been parading around as you, terrorizing everyone." Toshiro looked over at Masaki, who was still unconcious. "Does he know I'm not a threat now?" Toshiro asked. "Hopefully," Akiko said. Toshiro thought for a minute. "I'm not sure exactly who or what Yataro is, but we haven't seen the last of him. He's going to be giving us some trouble," he said.

*Look for Chapter 5: Night of the New Moon