by: Del_kaidin and Tiranth.
Chapter 6 - Illusions
She smiled, seeing that Leena had come out of the black mood she had been in once it had been decided to visit the inu taiyoukai's castle. "It is good to see you happy," Taka said, dropping back to the ground. She was interested in the illusions Leena spoke of that would hide the fact that she was youkai. "Please teach me these illusions. It would be nice to enter a ningen village and not have rotten tomatoes thrown at me."
(NOTE: Nascosi Unghia means Hide Claw in Italian)
"I don't often feel this way." She answered honestly. "Ok, lets start with the claws. Watch" She held her hands in front of herself. "Nascosi Unghia" She watched as her claws faded leaving very human looking hands. "But be careful this illusion hides your claws, they are still there." She demonstrated by scratching her arm without her nails apparently touching. "You must visualize exactly what you want your hands to look like. Ok, try it."
Taka watched amazed as Leena's claws disappeared and Leena scratch her arm with the now invisible claws. She reached out to touch the claw with wonder. "Amazing."
She was anxious now to try so she held up her own hands, imagining them in her mind that her sharp nails be the stubby ones of ningen. "Nascosi Unghia," she said. She growled in disappointment as only one of two of the claws became invisible and gave Leena a look.
Leena smiled at Taka's frustration. "Taka, it didn't work completely for me the first time either. It is a combination of, visualization and will. Try again."
She took a deep breath and tried again. This time a few more claws were hidden. After several more tries and a few colorful words, the girl finally got it right and held up her human looking hands, smiling triumphantly. "I did it!"
Leena smiled at the girls excitement. "Great. The markings I don't know how to tell you to hide with magic... but next village I can show you with makeup. Now there are several ways to hide the ears, some with magic and others without. Which would you like to learn?"
Taka nodded. She had to admit that she was very excited to learn that she would be able to move among the ningen without fear of discovery. She couldn't count the times that she'd had to take longer paths to her destinations just to avoid a village. "Yes, Leena...I want to learn everything."
Smiling at the girls obvious enthusiasm Leena rephrased her question. "Which would you like to learn first?"
She thought a moment, then said, "Teach me the magic."
"Everything. OK. Watch close." Leena shook her hands dismissing the hand illusion. She visualized the appearance she wanted, and spoke. "Emersione Umano." She stood her now auburn hair softly brushing her shoulders, her ears appeared in a more humanly normal place and her claws once again human. "Well the color's off, I was hoping for a Kenshin red, not Kitsune. But oh well."
Taka chuckled and smiled. "Well remember that in my time Kenshin is at least part Kitsune." She quieted as she thought of how she wanted to look. She closed her eyes, and spoke the words Leena had just used. This time she succeeded on the first try and stood before Leena, her ears no longer pointed, claws gone. Her hair was still a brilliant red but the silver in it had changed to a golden color. "How's that?"
"Good." She grinned, now was the time to test. "How long can you hold the illusion. Come on, there's a town not far ahead." Shaking herself she disbanded her own illusion. "I will pose as your bodyguard. Youkai guards are uncommon but not unheard of."
Taka nodded. Holding the illusion was a little difficult but she walked beside Leena, her head held high. "So is this the town you wanted to go to?"
"Yes." she answered. Stepping back to the normal position for a bodyguard, she whispered, "I am your servant, remember that. If I need to tell you something it will be in Inuyoukai. Enjoy being human in a town."
Leena slipped comfortably into the role of a bodyguard. She had long ago learned how to let her mind wander and yet be alert to all dangers surrounding her charge. Now was the time to think, and plan.
When they entered the town, the whispers she heard made her think that maybe she wasn't holding the illusion. Then Taka realized that the object of the stares was her "bodyguard" and she relaxed somewhat. Several of the townsfolk however greeted her warmly. She returned the greetings and continued along, hoping to see an inn. Suddenly she felt a pain shoot through her. It felt like something was reaching inside her and yanking on her soul. She gasped, falling to one knee, wrapping her arms around her middle, hoping the pressure would make the pain go away.
Taka's gasp snapped Leena from her thoughts, as the girl fell to one knee she glanced around for where the attack could have come from. Neither seeing or scenting anything, she knelt beside the red head. She let the transformation take her, her eyes became liquid silver and she lifted the other girl easily in her arms. Stepping to the nearest ningen she asked. "My mistress needs to rest. Is there an inn nearby?"
The scent of the man's fear assaulted her, but he did answer. "Yes, three buildings down on the left."
With an incline of her head Leena thanked him and took off. "Hold the illusion just a bit longer." Dashing into the inn she bowed to the inn keeper. "My mistress needs a room, she is ill."
The man snorted at the demon in his inn. "Your mistress can stay, but you demon can sleep in the stable. Follow me." He led them to a small room and stood outside, "Hurry up demon."
Leena placed Taka on a chair, speaking softly in Inuyoukai she spoke so only Taka would here. "When we leave let the illusion drop. Then rest, when you have your strength back, redo the illusion and we'll leave." She rose and stepped out of the room closing the door. "Thank you sir. Your stable, it is behind the inn?"
"Yes."
With a bow she left.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Taka let the illusion fade. The pain was fading. As soon as Leena had taken her from the one spot, she felt the strange grip release her. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, wondering what had happened. Leena...the inn keeper had made her go into the stables. She started to rise but her knees would not support her. 'Damn it,' she thought as she plopped back into the chair. She waited, her eyes closed, clearing her mind of every thought so that she would truly rest. She felt her strength returning then rose and concentrated on reforming her illusion. When it was in place she went to find Leena. The inn keeper bowed as she approached. She didn't have to ask where Leena was. She could scent her but to keep the ruse she asked, part of her wanting to tear into him for the way he had treated Leena. "Where is my guard?"
"In the stables, my lady, as fits a beast such as she."
She nodded and brushed past him, making her way to the stable. "Will you be staying the night my lady?"
"I'll think about it," she called over her shoulder, then entered the stable.
Leena entered the stable and looked around. As stables went it was clean. No sick or dying animals had been left here. She sat on the ground her back to a post. Shutting her eyes she allowed herself to rest. Taka would be awhile. Uncle Inu's lessons coming back easily "Always rest when you can. The next battle may be sooner than you think." Expanding her mind she felt no danger and relaxed further. Sleep came swiftly.
Leena was sleeping when she entered. Taka wondered how long she had taken to recover from the strange sensation that had passed over her. She knelt beside her companion and waited.
A presence near her awoke her, a slight sniff and she knew who it was. Cracking her eyes she saw Taka kneeling beside her. Gruffly in Inuyoukai she corrected the girl. "Stand up, I am the servant. You do not kneel beside me." Shifting quickly to ningen she spoke again, "Mistress, forgive me. I was unaware you had need of me." She bowed low allowing her forehead to touch the ground. "Are you well my mistress?"
Quickly Taka rose, a little embarrassed that she had forgotten their ruse so quickly. She didn't like the way Leena had to prostrate herself before her but it was all part of the act. She sniffed derisively. "I am fine. Rise, it is time we left this place. I am bored of it." With that she turned on her heel, and left the stable, anxious to be away so that she could speak freely. As she walked her mind pondered over what had caused her to feel as she had. Her first thought had been that a miko was nearby but the feeling had not been pure torture as a purification would have made her feel. This was more of a pulling that her body had been resisting. She would talk about it with Leena but for now she wanted to smell the forest, to leave the ningen behind.
Rising Leena suppressed the slight chuckle threatening to overtake her. The pup had looked so embarrassed after the rebuke. Always the faithful servant she followed her mistress through the town. She knew that as soon as they entered the depths of the forest, they would speak of what happened. She was impressed the pup had recovered so quickly. Soon the cool shade of the forest surrounded them. With a shake of her head she dropped the servant act. "So what happened back there?"
She breathed a sigh of relief, and with a shake like a dog after a bath she released her illusion. She turned to her new companion and said. "I'm really not certain. It was like..." she paused to find the words, "Like someone or something was trying to pull me and I was resisting, only it hurt a hell of a lot more. Just in that one spot, as soon as you took me away from there it went away."
"That is strange. Had you ever felt that pain before? I thought it was holding the illusion so long."
She was about to shake her head no but stopped. "Yes...it was right before I came here but it wasn't as insistent this time...like it wasn't really trying to pull, just a little tug."
"Then I think we can assume it is a doorway to other realities. Possibly even the way home. But why wouldn't it pull you home?" She reached up to scratch behind her ear, and then realizing the action dropped her hand to her side.
Taka shrugged. "Maybe we're supposed to do something before we can go home."
Well, we know that Naraku has the Shikon No Tama. So I'm willing to bet our presence has something to do with that. Let's continue to Midoriko's cave. It's the best place to look for answers."
"I think that would be wise." She waited for Leena to lead the way. Her Grandsire had visited the cave often enough to check on Yuki but he had never allowed Taka to go with him. As she followed, she wondered again who could have brought them here and why. Were they supposed to get the jewel from Naraku? If they were, was their combined strength going to be enough? She shook the thoughts from her head with a sniff. There would be time to think on that after they found what Leena was looking for.
To answer a few questions. Yes this story will remain in the switching back and forth perspective. Leena and Taka are to important to Tiranth and I to risk loosing some of their true nature. Besides it is fun writing this way. Each girl is having to face truths about themselves. Events in this story are actually working, for me at least, as preparation for things that have occured in other stories. You'll see what I mean by that.
As for the Uncle Inu thing... sorry pruningshears, I can not seem to make Uncle Inu Yasha sound right, coming out of Leena. So it stays...