A/N Hey all! Glad to see you here in Chapter 2! Hope you enjoy this new
chappie!
REVIEW TO SEE CHAPTER 3 QUICKLY!!!!
*hugs* Warrior of Forest
Now the awaited...
Chapter 2: Darkness Rising
Inuyasha awoke the next morning within the branches of the tallest tree that overlooked the village. Glancing down at the crimson bathed village as it slept, he focused in on the house of Kaede. He knew Kagome slept there still, he loved to see her sleeping, all cares and worries wiped from her face. She hadn't yet returned to her home in the other time, she kept her promise to remain and Inuyasha had flourished under her kindness. He was now more open with his feelings though if he felt cornered he tended to just bop the object of his frustration on the head.
As he sat in the peacefulness of the dawn, he was interrupted in his musings by the sudden flight of a pack of crows, real crows, from the forest beyond the village. Glancing sharply into the opposite forest, his golden eyes pierced the darkness in the forests eaves, searching out eh cause of the disturbance. He rose to full height on the branch and set his nose to the wind, drawing in the scent of morning. In that scent came human and blood. Now, worries confirmed, he leapt down from the tree and sprinted through the village, creating a dust storm behind him in his haste. The crimson light reflected off the trail of Inuyasha and made the village shimmer with light.
Inuyasha tore down the path into the forest following the scent. Ahead of him, a man in torn peasant clothing, seemingly made of muslin, tumbled out of the underbrush and onto the path. The man bled profusely from a cut to the head, and upon seeing Inuyasha called out for his aide.
"Please!" He begged as Inuyasha ran up to his side, concern clouding his fine features, "You must help them! She is coming! Help." The man fell off his speech as unconsciousness claimed him. Inuyasha quickly picked up the man, having sense no malice from him, and dashed off to the village bearing the bundle in his arms.
'This man,' Inuyasha thought deeply, 'He seems utterly terrified. And the scent he carries with him, I'm not sure, but if it is what I think it is, we are all in very grave danger.'
Shaking himself f out of his thoughts as he arrived at the door of Kaede's hut, swiping the mat over the entrance aside savagely, he stormed into the room.
"Baba!" He bellowed, "Get up!"
"Peace Inuyasha!" Kaede muttered sleepily, "What is the matter?"
"This man is gravely injured." He growled back, "Get up!"
"What?" Kaede said sitting up as quickly as her old bones would allow. Taking full assessment of the situation she instructed Inuyasha, "Put him down on the tatami mat on the other side of the hut. I'll see to him."
All the commotion had woken Kagome. For a few seconds, she wished that he would leave quietly and she could sleep. That clearly not being the case, 'Foolish of me to have even thought it.' She thought dryly, she opened her eyes just in time to see Kaede order Inuyasha out of the hut so she could dress in dignity. Inuyasha left a trail of grumbles in his wake. It never ceased to amuse Kagome that had Inuyasha not been tied to the tree, he would be older than Kaede. Instead, he was taking orders from her occasionally, since she was a great deal older than his now eighteen years. Despite Inuyasha's gruffness, they all knew he really did respect Kaede, apparently someone had taught him manners! Though there were times when they doubted this notion.
Kagome rose up from her bed and groggily pulled on her blue hakama and white gi. Staying there for so long had rendered wearing the same uniform everyday impractical, thus, Kaede had supplied her with some of the clothes she had once worn as a younger and taller women.
"Kagome." Kaede called. "Yes Kaede-obaasan?" Kagome answered respectfully.
Kaede smiled. "Child, go out and tell Inuyasha this man will be just fine."
Zeroing in on the man for the first time, Kagome promptly asked what had happened.
"I know not child," Kaede replied sadly, "But this wound is strange, it's to clean to be a sword wound and to small to be from a demons claw. Yet, he will be fine and with a bit of rest and sustenance he will be one his feet by the morrow."
"Good." Kagome sighed, "I'll tell Inuyasha."
Kagome gently pushed aside the mat and stepped out into the bathed in the dawn's new golden light. The sky was pure blue and puffy white clouds dotted the vaulted heavens. The golden sunlight slanted down on the village and light up the morning activities of the newly awakening village. Kagome stepped forward until she could see Inuyasha sitting on top of the hut. The utter beauty of the red clad hanyou momentarily startled her. The golden sun shined through his white hair, creating a halo of light around his face. Delicate shadows danced across his fine boned features, the light giving him an ethereal glow. His golden eyes reflected the light as he turned to her, questioning and slight worry in those eyes.
"Well?" He gruffly asked, the moment breaking.
Shaking her head to bring herself back, she replied, "He'll be fine, but Kaede's never seen a wound like this before.."
"She wouldn't of, if it is what I think it is." Inuyasha said quietly gazing into the sun, "If she had, she wouldn't be alive today."
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called questioningly. The hanyou seemed to be locked in the past, unwilling to draw out and face the future. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He said sharply, jumping down to land beside her. Planting a quick kiss on her cheek, he turned into the hut, beckoning with his eyes when she didn't follow.
'I won't push him.' Kagome thought in a mantra, 'That got me nothing good in the past.' She thought, eyes darkening as she remembered past events, events that had broken heart and mind, yet forged a bond stronger than ever before.
As Kagome joined Inuyasha in the hut, the man lying on the pallet began to stir. Immediately, Kaede turned to him and placed a cool cloth on his head, gently calling to him, she brought him around to the sphere of the conscious. Quietly, Inuyasha left Kagome standing in the doorway and moved to kneel beside Kaede and the man.
"Well?" Inuyasha questioned gruffly.
"Well, what?" Kaede said calmly, placing another cloth on the man's chest.
"You know what!"
"No I don't."
Inuyasha turned to her, for a second his eyes flashed in his rage. Kaede's eyes widened at the raw power she had felt. Inuyasha turned away looking horrified. Kagome just raised an eyebrow, having missed all of it.
'I can't believe I lost control like that!' Inuyasha thought, turning all his fury inward, 'I was taught better than that!'
Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha asked: "Will he be alright?"
"Yes." Kaede answered calmly, though still unnerved by the event, though she palced in the back of her mind.
"Yet."
"Yet what?"
"These wounds, they are strange." Kaede admitted.
"They are a devil's mark." The man said hoarsely, speaking up for the first time.
"What?" Inuyasha growled.
"Yes, the black devil marked me thus."
Inuyasha slowly closed his eyes in a last plea for what he believed to not be true.
"Where do you hail from?" He asked politely, causing both Kaede and Kagome's jaws to fall to the ground in shock.
"The base of Mt. Fuji." The man replied evenly.
Inuyasha's face fell at the confirmation of his fears.
The man suddenly reached his hand up to touch Inuyasha's cheek. Inuyasha looked down at him in shock, though to the surprise of all, did not pull away.
"You are...her son....it is you...who must..save..us." The man said quietly before falling off into unconsciousness, hand falling down to his side.
TO BE CONTINUED... *smirk*
REVIEW TO SEE CHAPTER 3 QUICKLY!!!!
*hugs* Warrior of Forest
Now the awaited...
Chapter 2: Darkness Rising
Inuyasha awoke the next morning within the branches of the tallest tree that overlooked the village. Glancing down at the crimson bathed village as it slept, he focused in on the house of Kaede. He knew Kagome slept there still, he loved to see her sleeping, all cares and worries wiped from her face. She hadn't yet returned to her home in the other time, she kept her promise to remain and Inuyasha had flourished under her kindness. He was now more open with his feelings though if he felt cornered he tended to just bop the object of his frustration on the head.
As he sat in the peacefulness of the dawn, he was interrupted in his musings by the sudden flight of a pack of crows, real crows, from the forest beyond the village. Glancing sharply into the opposite forest, his golden eyes pierced the darkness in the forests eaves, searching out eh cause of the disturbance. He rose to full height on the branch and set his nose to the wind, drawing in the scent of morning. In that scent came human and blood. Now, worries confirmed, he leapt down from the tree and sprinted through the village, creating a dust storm behind him in his haste. The crimson light reflected off the trail of Inuyasha and made the village shimmer with light.
Inuyasha tore down the path into the forest following the scent. Ahead of him, a man in torn peasant clothing, seemingly made of muslin, tumbled out of the underbrush and onto the path. The man bled profusely from a cut to the head, and upon seeing Inuyasha called out for his aide.
"Please!" He begged as Inuyasha ran up to his side, concern clouding his fine features, "You must help them! She is coming! Help." The man fell off his speech as unconsciousness claimed him. Inuyasha quickly picked up the man, having sense no malice from him, and dashed off to the village bearing the bundle in his arms.
'This man,' Inuyasha thought deeply, 'He seems utterly terrified. And the scent he carries with him, I'm not sure, but if it is what I think it is, we are all in very grave danger.'
Shaking himself f out of his thoughts as he arrived at the door of Kaede's hut, swiping the mat over the entrance aside savagely, he stormed into the room.
"Baba!" He bellowed, "Get up!"
"Peace Inuyasha!" Kaede muttered sleepily, "What is the matter?"
"This man is gravely injured." He growled back, "Get up!"
"What?" Kaede said sitting up as quickly as her old bones would allow. Taking full assessment of the situation she instructed Inuyasha, "Put him down on the tatami mat on the other side of the hut. I'll see to him."
All the commotion had woken Kagome. For a few seconds, she wished that he would leave quietly and she could sleep. That clearly not being the case, 'Foolish of me to have even thought it.' She thought dryly, she opened her eyes just in time to see Kaede order Inuyasha out of the hut so she could dress in dignity. Inuyasha left a trail of grumbles in his wake. It never ceased to amuse Kagome that had Inuyasha not been tied to the tree, he would be older than Kaede. Instead, he was taking orders from her occasionally, since she was a great deal older than his now eighteen years. Despite Inuyasha's gruffness, they all knew he really did respect Kaede, apparently someone had taught him manners! Though there were times when they doubted this notion.
Kagome rose up from her bed and groggily pulled on her blue hakama and white gi. Staying there for so long had rendered wearing the same uniform everyday impractical, thus, Kaede had supplied her with some of the clothes she had once worn as a younger and taller women.
"Kagome." Kaede called. "Yes Kaede-obaasan?" Kagome answered respectfully.
Kaede smiled. "Child, go out and tell Inuyasha this man will be just fine."
Zeroing in on the man for the first time, Kagome promptly asked what had happened.
"I know not child," Kaede replied sadly, "But this wound is strange, it's to clean to be a sword wound and to small to be from a demons claw. Yet, he will be fine and with a bit of rest and sustenance he will be one his feet by the morrow."
"Good." Kagome sighed, "I'll tell Inuyasha."
Kagome gently pushed aside the mat and stepped out into the bathed in the dawn's new golden light. The sky was pure blue and puffy white clouds dotted the vaulted heavens. The golden sunlight slanted down on the village and light up the morning activities of the newly awakening village. Kagome stepped forward until she could see Inuyasha sitting on top of the hut. The utter beauty of the red clad hanyou momentarily startled her. The golden sun shined through his white hair, creating a halo of light around his face. Delicate shadows danced across his fine boned features, the light giving him an ethereal glow. His golden eyes reflected the light as he turned to her, questioning and slight worry in those eyes.
"Well?" He gruffly asked, the moment breaking.
Shaking her head to bring herself back, she replied, "He'll be fine, but Kaede's never seen a wound like this before.."
"She wouldn't of, if it is what I think it is." Inuyasha said quietly gazing into the sun, "If she had, she wouldn't be alive today."
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called questioningly. The hanyou seemed to be locked in the past, unwilling to draw out and face the future. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He said sharply, jumping down to land beside her. Planting a quick kiss on her cheek, he turned into the hut, beckoning with his eyes when she didn't follow.
'I won't push him.' Kagome thought in a mantra, 'That got me nothing good in the past.' She thought, eyes darkening as she remembered past events, events that had broken heart and mind, yet forged a bond stronger than ever before.
As Kagome joined Inuyasha in the hut, the man lying on the pallet began to stir. Immediately, Kaede turned to him and placed a cool cloth on his head, gently calling to him, she brought him around to the sphere of the conscious. Quietly, Inuyasha left Kagome standing in the doorway and moved to kneel beside Kaede and the man.
"Well?" Inuyasha questioned gruffly.
"Well, what?" Kaede said calmly, placing another cloth on the man's chest.
"You know what!"
"No I don't."
Inuyasha turned to her, for a second his eyes flashed in his rage. Kaede's eyes widened at the raw power she had felt. Inuyasha turned away looking horrified. Kagome just raised an eyebrow, having missed all of it.
'I can't believe I lost control like that!' Inuyasha thought, turning all his fury inward, 'I was taught better than that!'
Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha asked: "Will he be alright?"
"Yes." Kaede answered calmly, though still unnerved by the event, though she palced in the back of her mind.
"Yet."
"Yet what?"
"These wounds, they are strange." Kaede admitted.
"They are a devil's mark." The man said hoarsely, speaking up for the first time.
"What?" Inuyasha growled.
"Yes, the black devil marked me thus."
Inuyasha slowly closed his eyes in a last plea for what he believed to not be true.
"Where do you hail from?" He asked politely, causing both Kaede and Kagome's jaws to fall to the ground in shock.
"The base of Mt. Fuji." The man replied evenly.
Inuyasha's face fell at the confirmation of his fears.
The man suddenly reached his hand up to touch Inuyasha's cheek. Inuyasha looked down at him in shock, though to the surprise of all, did not pull away.
"You are...her son....it is you...who must..save..us." The man said quietly before falling off into unconsciousness, hand falling down to his side.
TO BE CONTINUED... *smirk*