Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha.
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Chapter Three
Out of the Shadows
Amaya grasped the hilt of her dagger instinctively, although she wasn't
at all sure what good it would do against this demon. Shihya glanced down at
her, and casually waved her hand. A shadow flowed from her outstretched palm,
engulfing Amaya, Kagome, Shippo, Sango and Miroku. Sango, who had been
holding Hiraikotsu firmly, ready to throw, suddenly shuddered, gasped, and
collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Miroku tried to go to her side, but fell
under the same spell that had taken over Sango. One by one, they all collapsed
to the ground, until the only ones left standing were Inuyasha and Shihya.
"You- you bitch-" growled Inuyasha.
"Now, we'll not have that," said Shihya calmly. "Anyway, it really
wouldn't be fair if it was six against one, would it?" she turned her pale face
towards Kagome's. "Tch, tch... mating with a human whore, Inuyasha? I'd
really hoped that it was just a rumor..."
"Shut up!" cried Inuyasha, leaping into the air to swing Tetsusaiga at
Shihya again. Shihya gasped- the half demon had cut into her pale skin, leaving
an open wound that blood flowed freely from.
Inuyasha smirked up at her triumphantly. "Heh! Not so big now, are you?!"
Shihya glared at him. "It will take more than that to kill me, you whelp!"
She dove towards Inuyasha with surprising speed, her large black wings folded
across her back. She extended long, silver claws from her fingers and dug them into
his face, making red gashes on his smooth skin.
He groaned and put his hand to his cheek. She's like some sort of cat... he thought.
I don't like cats.
He focused all of his strength into Tetsusaiga, silently calling on the Wind Scar.
She won't escape this one. He flew straight up at her, throwing the full force of the
Scar of Wind at the shadow demon. She gave a sort of sigh and seemed to vanish into
the breeze, leaving not a trace, no sign that she had ever been there.
"Feh!" muttered Inuyasha, landing carefully on the ground by the sleeping
Kagome. "What a pushover.."
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha spun around to face Shihya, who stood behind him, looking as though
nothing had ever happened to her.
"Fool!" She hissed through clenched teeth, her voice bitter, sounding almost
as though she were on the verge of tears. "A shadow demon is just that- a shadow.
How do you kill a shadow? How do you kill what isn't there?"
Shihya came at him with terrible fury, violently swinging her claws and
opening numerous wounds on his face and neck. "You think you can defeat me? Me?!
I'll collect your head, you filthy half breed!"
Inuyasha fought back, but he was losing fast. Shihya was faster than any demon
he'd ever fought in his life. Damnit, Myouga... Where are you when I need you?!
Meanwhile, where Amaya lay unconscious on the ground, a small flea demon
stirred and leaped to her side, jumping onto her cheek. It sank its tiny fangs into her
pale skin. She twitched and abruptly slapped the side of her face with her hand and
opened her eyes.
"What..." she muttered, sitting up slowly and staring at the flea lying flat on
the ground.
To her surprise, it got to its feet, jumped up, and started talking to her quickly.
"Amaya! Hurry. You must tell Inuyasha-sama-"
"Whoa... wait a minute," she said confusedly, shaking her head.
It sighed. "We don't have time for this. Listen closely. My name is Myouga.
I am Inuyasha's advisor-"
"If you're his advisor, shouldn't you be with him right now?" asked Amaya
skeptically, glancing at Inuyasha with concern.
Myouga paused, muttered something incoherent, and then shook his head and
continued. "How can you be thinking of something so unimportant at a time like this?
Listen. Shihya is a shadow demon. Inuyasha will not be able to defeat her, do you
understand? Shadow demons are very unique creatures. They cannot be killed by other
demons. They can only be killed by humans, because humans are what they were
born of. They are nothing more than humans whose hearts were corrupted."
"Alright," said Amaya, trying to absorb this. "So... how do we kill them?"
"I think that should be obvious," replied Myouga. "You'll have to do it."
"WHAT?" she cried in disbelief.
"Don't worry, Amaya-san," said Myouga as he tied a knapsack to his back
and prepared to walk off. "Just believe in yourself, I have the utmost faith in you
and Inuyasha."
"Why you-" she said, but Myouga was already gone. "Damnit..." she muttered.
She reached for her dagger and drew it, still unsure if there was anything she could
do with it. "Well, I see I have no choice..."
Amaya edged closer to Inuyasha and Shihya, who were locked in fierce combat.
She watched their fight carefully, trying to see if she could find any weaknesses that
she could use against Shihya. It was in vain- the shadow demon fought flawlessly,
carelessly deflecting any and all of Inuyasha's attacks. I'll just wait for my chance, then.
She inched closer and closer to them, awaiting her chance. Once she's close
enough, I'll just.... thought Amaya, but her thoughts were interrupted suddenly.
Shihya must have sensed her presence, because she turned instantly to face
Amaya and glared at her fiercely. "You wench! Spying on me? I'll kill you first!"
Amaya winced and braced herself, but the blow never came. Inuyasha jumped
in front of her and swung his fist at Shihya, catching her off guard. "Your opponent is
me, bitch!"
The young human looked up in surprise. Inuyasha just.. protected me? she
thought in amazement. She quickly regained her composure. No time for that.
She ran out into the open, forgetting all stealth. It didn't matter anyway- Shihya
was completely distracted by Inuyasha.
Amaya held up her dagger and waited for the opportune moment. It came
just in time- Inuyasha, with an unusual display of strength, hit Shihya hard, knocking
her off balance, sending her sprawled onto the ground at her feet. Amaya cringed,
tightened her grip on the dagger, and drove it straight into the shadow demon's
heart, trying desperately not to think about it as the dagger slowly sank through
Shihya's chest, black blood leaking out from the open wound.
She looked straight into Shihya's eyes for a moment, and the demon looked
up at her, her eyes pained but relieved at the same time. "Thank you...." she
whispered softly, then sighed and lay still, dead, her body quickly
becoming nothing more than a pile of ashes that blew away in a slight breeze.
I understand now... thought Amaya, feeling a warm tear slowly make its
way down her cheek. She came here... not for the Shikon shards, but because
she wanted to die. I understand that, because that is what I want as well...
"....The hell?"
She looked up, startled out of her reverie. "Huh?" Inuyasha was staring
at her in shock, along with Sango, Miroku, and Kagome, who had apparently
been awake for a while now. Shippo didn't seem to have noticed- he was busy
teasing Kirara and trying hard to avoid her claws.
"Um...." Amaya stared back at them all, blushing slightly- she had
never liked attention much. "Heh... sorry?"
An hour later, Amaya sat by a fire next to Kagome and Miroku, Shippo
sitting quietly in her lap, Sango across from her with Kirara perched on her
shoulder, listening intently, and Inuyasha perched in the branch of a tree, trying
hard to look like he wasn't interested in the conversation at hand.
"So then I just.... waited for the best opportunity, and...." Amaya trailed
off, making a brief stabbing motion with her hand, still blushing from all the
attention she was getting.
"Wow," said Kagome, obviously impressed.
"Really, I don't deserve any credit. Inuyasha was the one doing all the
fighting, after all. He was incredible."
"Keh!" Muttered Inuyasha, pretending he wasn't enjoying the praise.
"Still, that was really brave of you," said Sango.
"Yes," said Miroku. "You seem like a very good person, Amaya. I get
the feeling that you're the kind of friend someone could trust."
"Th-thanks," stuttered Amaya, flustered.
"Not at all. You don't need to thank me for telling the truth."
Amaya grinned and blushed again.
"Ah, Amaya-chan," murmured Sango, worried, knowing what was coming
next.
"In that case, could I ask you a favor, Amaya?" Miroku continued.
"Certainly, ask anything," she replied, grinning cheerfully.
"Will you.... bear my child?"
"WILL I WHAT?" She shrieked, startling them all with her response.
Kagome jumped, Shippo started and jumped off her lap, and Kirara hissed, mewed
and went to hide behind a surprised- looking Sango.
Amaya was reminded suddenly of the men of the village. She glared at
Miroku, feeling her eyes wet with tears, hating him for reminding her of the past,
and hating herself for reacting like this. She got to her feet and stormed off,
walking at first, and then running once she got further away. The tears were
coming now. She wiped them away and kept running. I have to keep running.
If I keep running then I won't think. If I don't think I won't cry. She repeated this
to herself as if it were a chant. "Don't stop, don't think, don't cry. Don't stop,
don't think, don't cry. Don't stop, don't think, don't....."
Back at the camp, Sango slowly rose to her feet and walked off in the
direction Amaya had gone in. "I'll go after her," she said. She paused by
Miroku. "Miroku, this is in case I forget." She quickly took Hiraikotsu off her
back and brought it down hard on his head.
Amaya stopped by a stream, panting. I completely overreacted, she
thought miserably. How can I show my face to them now?
She sank down to her knees and looked at her reflection in the stream.
The girl looking back at her was so different from the one she had seen by the
bridge in Kaede's village. Is it possible that I actually smiled then? she wondered,
looking at her tear stained face sadly.
She glanced up, hearing someone nearby, walking slowly, gracefully.
Sango was coming towards her, a friendly expression on her face. The young
slayer knelt by Amaya and squeezed her hand. "I apologize for Miroku," she
said softly. "He always acts that way."
Amaya smiled. "It wasn't him... mostly... it's just that he reminded
me of something that I would prefer not to think about. I'm fine now."
"I see," Sango replied. "Will you be coming back with me, then?"
She looked up in surprise. "You want me to?"
"Of course," said Sango, smiling. "I consider you my friend.. I'm not
wrong, am I?"
Amaya beamed, feeling happier than she'd felt in years. "No," she
said. "You're not wrong."
She allowed Sango to help her to her feet and lead her back to the
camp.