Chapter 13: Call of the Dead
Kuriochio looked up quickly, but he didn't know why he felt so silly. It was a obvious question anyone would ask of someone they just met. He just... had wished she had remembered, he had wished with all his being, but she did not. She was still this girl, a spitting image yet not of his Atsu. But the half-demon... probebly was told the stories parent's said to their children late at night, of the monster of Darkness, prowling the night in search of children to gobble up or worse. Bleh.. why he would ever eat anyone was beyond his comprehension. Better answer her question, she's been patient.
"My name's Ku.. Kuro. My name's Kuro." he smiled slightly, mentally smacking himself for leaving his appearance unchanged when he went for his usual rounds tonight. If they did not recognize the Mark, surely his... 'ears' would give him away.
"Whatever buddy... my question is much more simple, even for your pea- brain.." InuYasha growled, dropping back to the ground, glaring at the stranger with distrust. "What in the hells are you?!" he barked, crossing his arms, and waiting for an answer, even if the bitch said 'Sit' a hundred times, he wasn't moving till he got an answer from this wierdo. He couldn't place what type of demon this guy was, his scent was unlike anything he had ever come across, but maybe he wasn't from near here, maybe he was a foreign demon. Yeah.. that was it, some damned foreigern in his territory, trying to go after HIS Shikon Jewel! Well.. at least half of it anyway. Kuro glanced at the half-demon, thinking he had the worse manners, even compared to Anzai when the lunkhead would get into a fight with Hidetaka, but shrugged, letting the slight insult roll off him. "I'm a bat demon, of the Northern clan." he said simply, taking note of the hanyou's smug smile, as he sat down between the two, making a wedge serperating them, much like a jealous child would. Kate grinned, glaring at InuYasha for a moment, then smiled once more. "Well it's nice to meet you, Kuro. This is InuYasha, short temper and everything violent is his way." She laughed, wondering why she suddenly felt like the wieght had been lifted from her mind, vanishing into limbo? Oh well, at least the jerk and Kuro weren't fighting.
"So what are you doing so far from home, eh? I never heard of a bat demon coming this far south before, unless they're looking for something.." InuYasha frowned, taking note of the Mark on the demon's face. It was something he had seen once when he was very small, in his father's home when a traitor of the worse kind was branded, the metal being melded into his skin. But that mark was huge, most the the saps back, while this guys was different, small, but more complex, it wasn't any kanji he had ever seen before, but he never learned more then a few basic lessons before his mother...".Stop thinking about her, she's dead! Been buried and forgotten for more then 60 years you idiot!" he berated himself, as he just grumbled something under his breath, jumping back up into the tree's, away from those two. That demon was annoying but not as annoying as that girl. But.. there still was somethind oddly familar about her, a memory kept trying to come into focus before fading back. It was better to get away from her and forget it, he couldn't get soft, letting himself grow soft cost him dearly once before, and he wasn't going to let it happen again.
***Row row row your boat.. gently down the stream... Drown the little toad thing, a fiddle dee dee....***
An army camped contently, ready for the upcoming battle of dawn, many talking of how they would fight, others sitting quietly aside, praying to Kami they would live to see their loved ones once again.
~C-RAACK~
The boars head seperated cleanly from it's body as the general laughed buresly. "Take this and gain strengh for our battle tomarrow!" he chortled passing the meat around to his men.
"We are lucky to have such a great leader like you, Boss!"
"Yes... yes you are! Ha ha ha ha h~*!" the mans laughter was cut short as his head was ripped away from his body much in the same fashion as he had done to the boar, as the men leapt to their feet, drawing their swords. Shesshoumaru flicked his hand, tossing the general's head onto the ground as his corpse slumped to the ground, the blood already dripping and pooling into a puddle. "I search for the Elei* village, now get out of my way.." he said softly.
"DEMON! KILL IT MEN!" the soldiers roared, coming at the youkai who stood his ground calmly as Jaken lept in front of him. "Ehehe.. let me take care of these fools, m'lord!" he slammed his staff into the ground as the old man head opened it's mouth, flames ingulfing the entire gathering of humans, incenerating them from where they stood. The wind whipped around them, a bit angrily it seemed, as the young lord nudged a partially whole bit of armor before it crumbled to ashes. "Human vermin.."
"M'lord! Upon the hilltop, a megelith demon! It could prove useful in your plan to lure Inu.. the half-demon weakling out of hiding!" the small demon chattered, as the giant horned demon reared up from the tree's, letting out a loud but low decible roar, then becoming silent once more.
"Yes... it would serve me well." Shesshoumaru stated simply, and started towards where the lower demon had appeared.
***Back to the oh so happy trio***
"So your searching for your bethrothed?" Kate asked as Kuro nodded, folding his hands into his sleeves. "Yes.. she was kidnapped some time ago. My.. family has given up, but I still look for her." his voice softened slightly, though the snort from above caused him to frown as InuYasha yawned lazilly, dangling one foot towards the ground. "In my opinion your wasting your time. If you haven't found her yet, she either ran off with another man or is dead. Simple as that..... Don't.. know.... ~*" InuYasha dropped to the ground, shoving Kate and Kuro's heads to the ground, hissing to get down as a strange airborne object approched them.
"A spirit wagon!" Kuro whispered quietly, his eyes narrowing at the sight. Now why would a dead soul be out riding this eve? Muemyeo would not be pleased to find out one of his carriages had been taken, and death imps were practically covering the thing, giggling and squawking in their usual inane ways. "What do you... InuYasha! Get down!" he hissed as the hanyou stood, staring at the wagon as the curtain flapped open, a rather fetching human woman looking out from inside.
"M..Mother!" the hanyou stuttered as the woman reached out her hand calling out his name as Kate jerked her head up, standing with Kuro, and said the first thing that popped into her mind. "W..WHAT?! But... your mother's dead InuYasha..." she spoke gently but he didn't seem to heed her words. "He said she died a long time ago... how...?" her train of thought was broken as a gigantic clawed hand appeared from the sky, crushing the wagon like a parcel of twigs, clutching the woman in it's hand as the beast appeared from the clouds, it's face like that of the monster's people would speak of in the dead of night when telling stories.
"NO!" InuYasha yelled, leaping towards the monster holding his mother, nearly reaching her when a jet of fire came at him, making him swerve to miss being charbroiled, his eyes resting on the surprisingly white figure perched gracefully on the oni's arm. "Jaken... Kill him once we've talked."
"A..Aye m'lord!" the ugly little thing squawked, stepping behind the stranger. Fire seemed to light up behind InuYasha's gaze as he snarled. "Is that you, Shesshoumaru?!" bringing a slight smile to the youkai's lips. "Ah, you remembered me....dear little brother."
Kate and Kuro did a jawdrop, as InuYasha just continued to glare at him with contempt, but Shesshoumaru's gaze lighted on the girl, his face almost twitching slightly, the look in his eyes causing Kate to get behind the two demons, gulping slightly. She had had enough of being sliced open by demons.
~My... nanny.... in a human guise? How, she looks younger even when I was just a child. In such peasent like clothes, though they do suit.....NO! Why is she with that half-breed or that odd creature with them.....Wait.. her scent. Is human...~
"Why, a human girl... how fit for you, brother.." he smirked, regaining his once more ice-cool composure, as Kate glared at him, moving slightly side by side with Kuro and InuYasha, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah, got a problem with it, you... poofy freak?!" she shouted as Kuro shushed her, shaking his head frantically as a frowned deepened in the youkai's face, his eyes hardening once more. "How fitting..." the chain around InuYasha's mothers neck jerked, making her wince, "..that you should be dallying with humans. You, with your mortal wretch of a mother... seek your own leval at last."
Kate watched the scene with apprehension as InuYasha started to growl, cracking his knuckles while Kuro seemed to be watching this play out with an odd expression on his face. Was he part of this guys scheme? Was he a distraction? No...he wasn't. "Shesshoumaru, if you came all this way just to insult me..."InuYasha smirked, tensing up as his brother laughed lightly, making them all freeze for a moment, Kuro wondering if he could summon enough shadows to rescue the hanyou's mother and get them out of there before... "No, I've come seeking our dear father's grave, half- breed."
"Well sorry to dissapoint ya'h but I don't know anything!" InuYasha yelled up as Shesshoumaru sighed, shutting his eyes for a moment, pausing. "Very well, then your poor mother shall suffer." The chains around his mother jerked again as the monster's claw started to crush her, causing a scream to escape, but the hanyou just smirked. "You think that I'm that stupid?! My mother's been dead for years! You can't fool..."
"Silance weakling!" Jaken shrieked, stepping forward. "Do you really think that with all his Lordship's power he could not easily summon a dead soul back from the dead, and give her flesh?" he cackled as the woman screamed again, the monsters claws seeming to crush her bones "In..InuYasha..don't trouble yourself." she smiled sadly as he took a step back, Kate and Kuro looking shocked. "I've been dead once anyway." she gasped as the hand suddenly crunched down, even Kate's human ears could hear the snapping of bones.
"MOTHER!" InuYasha screamed, sliceing the monster's hand apart, letting his mother's limp form drop to the ground, but getting caught by Kuro who leapt up, sitting her on the ground before moving back at the monster a pair of hand scythes appearing in his hands with a shout, as Kate rushed over while him and InuYasha were busy with the monster. "Are, are you alright?" she asked hesitently.
"KURO!" InuYasha went slicing through the monster, yelling to the strange demon who looked up from the his own carving into the monster's side with twin hand scythes that appeared. "GET THEM BOTH OUT OF HERE!" Kuro nodded, making his way down the monster's back and to the two woman. "Come on, it's not safe for either of you here!"
"NO!" Shesshoumaru had the monster dive down with it's hand slamming into InuYasha's back sending him flying towards the trio, his mother looking up in shock. "INUYASHA!" she shouted, holding her hands up as a blindingly bright light ingluffed them all, even the youkai lord shading his eyes, once the light faded the group had vanished from sight.
A smug grin curled one corner of his mouth. "Perfect then..."
***One short nap later... or just... aw just read the dang thing!***
Opening one eye groggily, Kate nearly jumped out of her skin, but calmed down noticing Kuro was asleep it seemed a few feet away from her, while InuYasha and his mother stood a few yards away. "I~~~!" her eyes widened as she tried to shout, but her voice seemed to be sealed away, she couldn't move at all! In her mind she screamed loudly, hoping to somehow wake up Kuro, or get the jerk's attention but he seemed to pay more attention to his mother.
"My dear boy... how you've grown..."
"Well yeah, I was pretty little when you... Where are we anyway?" he glanced around him at the serene garden surrounding them, following his mother as she moved along gracefully. "We are at the crossroads between Life and Death. I will be leaving soon...."
Trying to move, Kate could only look around her in fear, this place was too perfect.... why didn't that lunkhead notice?! She looked over at Kuro and noted with relief his eyes were open now two, though fill with concern and dawning horror, he kept moving his eyes towards the water InuYasha's mother and him were standing by. Swiveling her eyes, Kate would have screamed if she could. She had no face! His mother didn't have a face!
A glowing lotus bloomed between his 'mother's' hands, as InuYasha watched. "Do.. you have to leave?" he asked, a forlorne look crossing his face as the false mother smiled, then pointed to the water the petals drifted into as she dropped the flower. "Look into the water, my son." Eyeing her curiously, he moved over, peering curiously into the water, blinking in shock at what he saw, backing up slightly. "It's me... when I was still little..." The false mother moved closer, wrapping her arms around InuYasha, crooning softly. "Do you remember? Remember when when you were small, and I held you like this... so close." But the spell was partially broken, as he twisted around his eyes widening at the sight of his 'mother' not having a face in the waters reflection. "Wh..What, who are you?!" he struggled against her grip, trying to get away from this creature that had his mother's face
Kuriochio looked up quickly, but he didn't know why he felt so silly. It was a obvious question anyone would ask of someone they just met. He just... had wished she had remembered, he had wished with all his being, but she did not. She was still this girl, a spitting image yet not of his Atsu. But the half-demon... probebly was told the stories parent's said to their children late at night, of the monster of Darkness, prowling the night in search of children to gobble up or worse. Bleh.. why he would ever eat anyone was beyond his comprehension. Better answer her question, she's been patient.
"My name's Ku.. Kuro. My name's Kuro." he smiled slightly, mentally smacking himself for leaving his appearance unchanged when he went for his usual rounds tonight. If they did not recognize the Mark, surely his... 'ears' would give him away.
"Whatever buddy... my question is much more simple, even for your pea- brain.." InuYasha growled, dropping back to the ground, glaring at the stranger with distrust. "What in the hells are you?!" he barked, crossing his arms, and waiting for an answer, even if the bitch said 'Sit' a hundred times, he wasn't moving till he got an answer from this wierdo. He couldn't place what type of demon this guy was, his scent was unlike anything he had ever come across, but maybe he wasn't from near here, maybe he was a foreign demon. Yeah.. that was it, some damned foreigern in his territory, trying to go after HIS Shikon Jewel! Well.. at least half of it anyway. Kuro glanced at the half-demon, thinking he had the worse manners, even compared to Anzai when the lunkhead would get into a fight with Hidetaka, but shrugged, letting the slight insult roll off him. "I'm a bat demon, of the Northern clan." he said simply, taking note of the hanyou's smug smile, as he sat down between the two, making a wedge serperating them, much like a jealous child would. Kate grinned, glaring at InuYasha for a moment, then smiled once more. "Well it's nice to meet you, Kuro. This is InuYasha, short temper and everything violent is his way." She laughed, wondering why she suddenly felt like the wieght had been lifted from her mind, vanishing into limbo? Oh well, at least the jerk and Kuro weren't fighting.
"So what are you doing so far from home, eh? I never heard of a bat demon coming this far south before, unless they're looking for something.." InuYasha frowned, taking note of the Mark on the demon's face. It was something he had seen once when he was very small, in his father's home when a traitor of the worse kind was branded, the metal being melded into his skin. But that mark was huge, most the the saps back, while this guys was different, small, but more complex, it wasn't any kanji he had ever seen before, but he never learned more then a few basic lessons before his mother...".Stop thinking about her, she's dead! Been buried and forgotten for more then 60 years you idiot!" he berated himself, as he just grumbled something under his breath, jumping back up into the tree's, away from those two. That demon was annoying but not as annoying as that girl. But.. there still was somethind oddly familar about her, a memory kept trying to come into focus before fading back. It was better to get away from her and forget it, he couldn't get soft, letting himself grow soft cost him dearly once before, and he wasn't going to let it happen again.
***Row row row your boat.. gently down the stream... Drown the little toad thing, a fiddle dee dee....***
An army camped contently, ready for the upcoming battle of dawn, many talking of how they would fight, others sitting quietly aside, praying to Kami they would live to see their loved ones once again.
~C-RAACK~
The boars head seperated cleanly from it's body as the general laughed buresly. "Take this and gain strengh for our battle tomarrow!" he chortled passing the meat around to his men.
"We are lucky to have such a great leader like you, Boss!"
"Yes... yes you are! Ha ha ha ha h~*!" the mans laughter was cut short as his head was ripped away from his body much in the same fashion as he had done to the boar, as the men leapt to their feet, drawing their swords. Shesshoumaru flicked his hand, tossing the general's head onto the ground as his corpse slumped to the ground, the blood already dripping and pooling into a puddle. "I search for the Elei* village, now get out of my way.." he said softly.
"DEMON! KILL IT MEN!" the soldiers roared, coming at the youkai who stood his ground calmly as Jaken lept in front of him. "Ehehe.. let me take care of these fools, m'lord!" he slammed his staff into the ground as the old man head opened it's mouth, flames ingulfing the entire gathering of humans, incenerating them from where they stood. The wind whipped around them, a bit angrily it seemed, as the young lord nudged a partially whole bit of armor before it crumbled to ashes. "Human vermin.."
"M'lord! Upon the hilltop, a megelith demon! It could prove useful in your plan to lure Inu.. the half-demon weakling out of hiding!" the small demon chattered, as the giant horned demon reared up from the tree's, letting out a loud but low decible roar, then becoming silent once more.
"Yes... it would serve me well." Shesshoumaru stated simply, and started towards where the lower demon had appeared.
***Back to the oh so happy trio***
"So your searching for your bethrothed?" Kate asked as Kuro nodded, folding his hands into his sleeves. "Yes.. she was kidnapped some time ago. My.. family has given up, but I still look for her." his voice softened slightly, though the snort from above caused him to frown as InuYasha yawned lazilly, dangling one foot towards the ground. "In my opinion your wasting your time. If you haven't found her yet, she either ran off with another man or is dead. Simple as that..... Don't.. know.... ~*" InuYasha dropped to the ground, shoving Kate and Kuro's heads to the ground, hissing to get down as a strange airborne object approched them.
"A spirit wagon!" Kuro whispered quietly, his eyes narrowing at the sight. Now why would a dead soul be out riding this eve? Muemyeo would not be pleased to find out one of his carriages had been taken, and death imps were practically covering the thing, giggling and squawking in their usual inane ways. "What do you... InuYasha! Get down!" he hissed as the hanyou stood, staring at the wagon as the curtain flapped open, a rather fetching human woman looking out from inside.
"M..Mother!" the hanyou stuttered as the woman reached out her hand calling out his name as Kate jerked her head up, standing with Kuro, and said the first thing that popped into her mind. "W..WHAT?! But... your mother's dead InuYasha..." she spoke gently but he didn't seem to heed her words. "He said she died a long time ago... how...?" her train of thought was broken as a gigantic clawed hand appeared from the sky, crushing the wagon like a parcel of twigs, clutching the woman in it's hand as the beast appeared from the clouds, it's face like that of the monster's people would speak of in the dead of night when telling stories.
"NO!" InuYasha yelled, leaping towards the monster holding his mother, nearly reaching her when a jet of fire came at him, making him swerve to miss being charbroiled, his eyes resting on the surprisingly white figure perched gracefully on the oni's arm. "Jaken... Kill him once we've talked."
"A..Aye m'lord!" the ugly little thing squawked, stepping behind the stranger. Fire seemed to light up behind InuYasha's gaze as he snarled. "Is that you, Shesshoumaru?!" bringing a slight smile to the youkai's lips. "Ah, you remembered me....dear little brother."
Kate and Kuro did a jawdrop, as InuYasha just continued to glare at him with contempt, but Shesshoumaru's gaze lighted on the girl, his face almost twitching slightly, the look in his eyes causing Kate to get behind the two demons, gulping slightly. She had had enough of being sliced open by demons.
~My... nanny.... in a human guise? How, she looks younger even when I was just a child. In such peasent like clothes, though they do suit.....NO! Why is she with that half-breed or that odd creature with them.....Wait.. her scent. Is human...~
"Why, a human girl... how fit for you, brother.." he smirked, regaining his once more ice-cool composure, as Kate glared at him, moving slightly side by side with Kuro and InuYasha, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah, got a problem with it, you... poofy freak?!" she shouted as Kuro shushed her, shaking his head frantically as a frowned deepened in the youkai's face, his eyes hardening once more. "How fitting..." the chain around InuYasha's mothers neck jerked, making her wince, "..that you should be dallying with humans. You, with your mortal wretch of a mother... seek your own leval at last."
Kate watched the scene with apprehension as InuYasha started to growl, cracking his knuckles while Kuro seemed to be watching this play out with an odd expression on his face. Was he part of this guys scheme? Was he a distraction? No...he wasn't. "Shesshoumaru, if you came all this way just to insult me..."InuYasha smirked, tensing up as his brother laughed lightly, making them all freeze for a moment, Kuro wondering if he could summon enough shadows to rescue the hanyou's mother and get them out of there before... "No, I've come seeking our dear father's grave, half- breed."
"Well sorry to dissapoint ya'h but I don't know anything!" InuYasha yelled up as Shesshoumaru sighed, shutting his eyes for a moment, pausing. "Very well, then your poor mother shall suffer." The chains around his mother jerked again as the monster's claw started to crush her, causing a scream to escape, but the hanyou just smirked. "You think that I'm that stupid?! My mother's been dead for years! You can't fool..."
"Silance weakling!" Jaken shrieked, stepping forward. "Do you really think that with all his Lordship's power he could not easily summon a dead soul back from the dead, and give her flesh?" he cackled as the woman screamed again, the monsters claws seeming to crush her bones "In..InuYasha..don't trouble yourself." she smiled sadly as he took a step back, Kate and Kuro looking shocked. "I've been dead once anyway." she gasped as the hand suddenly crunched down, even Kate's human ears could hear the snapping of bones.
"MOTHER!" InuYasha screamed, sliceing the monster's hand apart, letting his mother's limp form drop to the ground, but getting caught by Kuro who leapt up, sitting her on the ground before moving back at the monster a pair of hand scythes appearing in his hands with a shout, as Kate rushed over while him and InuYasha were busy with the monster. "Are, are you alright?" she asked hesitently.
"KURO!" InuYasha went slicing through the monster, yelling to the strange demon who looked up from the his own carving into the monster's side with twin hand scythes that appeared. "GET THEM BOTH OUT OF HERE!" Kuro nodded, making his way down the monster's back and to the two woman. "Come on, it's not safe for either of you here!"
"NO!" Shesshoumaru had the monster dive down with it's hand slamming into InuYasha's back sending him flying towards the trio, his mother looking up in shock. "INUYASHA!" she shouted, holding her hands up as a blindingly bright light ingluffed them all, even the youkai lord shading his eyes, once the light faded the group had vanished from sight.
A smug grin curled one corner of his mouth. "Perfect then..."
***One short nap later... or just... aw just read the dang thing!***
Opening one eye groggily, Kate nearly jumped out of her skin, but calmed down noticing Kuro was asleep it seemed a few feet away from her, while InuYasha and his mother stood a few yards away. "I~~~!" her eyes widened as she tried to shout, but her voice seemed to be sealed away, she couldn't move at all! In her mind she screamed loudly, hoping to somehow wake up Kuro, or get the jerk's attention but he seemed to pay more attention to his mother.
"My dear boy... how you've grown..."
"Well yeah, I was pretty little when you... Where are we anyway?" he glanced around him at the serene garden surrounding them, following his mother as she moved along gracefully. "We are at the crossroads between Life and Death. I will be leaving soon...."
Trying to move, Kate could only look around her in fear, this place was too perfect.... why didn't that lunkhead notice?! She looked over at Kuro and noted with relief his eyes were open now two, though fill with concern and dawning horror, he kept moving his eyes towards the water InuYasha's mother and him were standing by. Swiveling her eyes, Kate would have screamed if she could. She had no face! His mother didn't have a face!
A glowing lotus bloomed between his 'mother's' hands, as InuYasha watched. "Do.. you have to leave?" he asked, a forlorne look crossing his face as the false mother smiled, then pointed to the water the petals drifted into as she dropped the flower. "Look into the water, my son." Eyeing her curiously, he moved over, peering curiously into the water, blinking in shock at what he saw, backing up slightly. "It's me... when I was still little..." The false mother moved closer, wrapping her arms around InuYasha, crooning softly. "Do you remember? Remember when when you were small, and I held you like this... so close." But the spell was partially broken, as he twisted around his eyes widening at the sight of his 'mother' not having a face in the waters reflection. "Wh..What, who are you?!" he struggled against her grip, trying to get away from this creature that had his mother's face