Once Kaiya had left, Sango sighed and stared out at the water some more, thinking about everything the youkai had said. Just the memories of what had happened to her village made tears begin to well up in her eyes, and she bit her lip. Inuyasha's sister was right; she had no idea how Sango felt.
But then again, Sango thought, I've never lost a child or a husband.
The youkai exterminator sighed as she stood to her feet. Although Kaiya may not have lost everyone she had ever cared about, she was the only person among the people Sango was traveling with who might at least have some true idea about the grief that still consumed Sango's heart. While Sango was not happy about Kaiya's flirting with Miroku, she did understand what Kaiya had told her about it helping to distract her.
She probably would have done the same thing had she not been possessed with the hatred she felt at Naraku for him having tricked her. Quietly, Sango turned and began to walk back to the group's campsite.
Kaiya sighed as she stared out over the riverbanks. She had originally left Sango with the intention of returning to Inuyasha and the others, but her conversation with the young youkai exterminator had left Sesshomaru's twin feeling depressed and unprepared to face the others so soon. Her flirtation with Miroku earlier during the day had helped to take her mind off of the duty she must fulfill in order to avenge her husband and son. And while it had been fun, she also wondered what right did she really have to invade on Sango's territory? Obviously Miroku had enjoyed the flirtation because he had flirted right back with Kaiya, but was it really worth it in the end? If it wound up hurting someone like Sango, who had already been through so much pain, was a little distraction really worth it? With a sigh, Kaiya flicked a blade of grass into the water and lay down so that she was facing the stars. Then, closing her eyes, she smiled as memories of days gone by with her husband and her son enveloped her… The day she and Toshiro first met; the day she and Toshiro had discovered she was pregnant; the day Michio was born, and so on. Thinking of the happier days in the past, Kaiya began to drift off to sleep. Lying on the river bank, Kaiya was almost completely asleep when the worst memory she possessed suddenly hit her like a lightening bolt. Lying there, she had been originally thinking of only a few weeks before they had been killed when Michio and Toshiro had both returned home from a day of successful fishing, when the memory of the day she had found them dead suddenly intruded and ruined the rest of the memories. Suddenly, she saw herself in her mind as she returned home from a morning walk only to discover that Toshiro and Michio did respond when she called their names. This, in itself was unusual, but at the time she had shrugged it off, assuming that they had gone fishing once again -- ever since they had found Shikon no Tama shards, their father and son fishing trips had become more and more frequent as they were becoming quite successful. Still with a smile on her face, Kaiya remembered, she had gone walking up to their cabin, only to have her heart break upon entering. As soon as she had opened the door, Kaiya could tell that something was not right. Toshiro and Michio had left the fire burning in the middle of the home; had the two of them gone out fishing, they would have put it out beforehand. Toshiro, himself, was always the one who made sure that the fire was out. That was one of the things that had always endeared him to Kaiya. Even though he knew that she was a youkai with incredible powers, he was always worried that something would happen to her and wanted to protect her whenever he could.
That was why that day the combination of the lit fire and their lack of responsive to her calling their names alarmed her. It was then that she heard the strangled cry from several yards away. Fear filled Kaiya. She knew that voice! As fast as lightning, Kaiya ran from the cabin and towards the direction of the voice. She arrived their just in time to see her son attempting to fight this large spider youkai. Rage filled her Kaiya and immediately, she transformed into her true self and attacked the youkai that DARED TO THREATEN HER FAMILY! The moment that it saw her, it smiled and went to approach her, but for some reason unknown it seemed to change its' mind and turned the other way. Kaiya was about to chase after when she heard her son say in a strangled voice, "Mom." Without a second thought, Kaiya forgot the creature and turned to her son who was obviously in pain. Looking at him, she could tell why. Even though he had been fighting against the spider youkai, it was a battle that was too great for a young hanyou, especially one who had never been taught to fight. Michio had wounds all over his body; wounds that Kaiya knew, even if they were healed, he would never be the same; his left arm was almost completely severed. Transforming into her human self, she asked him, "Yes?" "The . . . Shi. . . Shi. . ." Michio struggled.
"The Shikon no Tama shards?" Kaiya asked, not knowing what else would be so important for Michio to get out. Michio smiled even though it hurt him to do so, and attempted a nod but failed.
"Is that why that youkai attacked you two?" Kaiya asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Only a few feet away lay the body of her husband, Toshiro; she could already tell that he was dead, obviously from an attempt to protect their son. "Naraku," Michio stated. Kaiya frowned, wondering what Michio was getting at. "Naraku?" she began, then realization sweeping over her. She had heard that their was a powerful youkai hunting Shikon no Tama shards with that name. "Was that the youkai who attacked you?" Michio just smiled, knowing that he could not nod and Kaiya bit her lip in an useless attempt to stop the tears from falling. Without a word, Michio placed his hand in his mother's and then collapsed. Kaiya shuddered with pain, knowing that their was nothing she could do. Quickly, she opened Michio's palm and saw that in his hand held the Shikon no Tama shards that he and his father had collected. Then, not caring about anything else except for the loss she had just suffered Kaiya let out a howl that carried her pain for miles around…
From up in a tree, Naraku smiled as he watched his latest creation go to work. His latest "offspring" had the ability to make you relive your worst memories time and time again so that you would go insane. This of course, leaving his enemies weak and useless so that he could grab their Shikon no Tama shards whenever he wanted. However, seeing this familiar youkai lie their in pain as she relived the murders he, himself, had committed to her husband and son. Those were two murders that he had enjoyed committing, however, he did not stay to collect the Shikon shards once he saw her appear. He was Naraku, after all. And he was not stupid. He had been able to see from the rage in her eyes that she would have killed him in one swipe. He had been prepared to face such a strong youkai that day. Now, though, was a different story and he enjoyed watching someone who had stolen such an easy victory from his grasp relive their worst memories. He grinned to himself as he thought to himself the next victim he would give to his offspring.
Inuyasha.
Kaiya sighed as she stared out over the riverbanks. She had originally left Sango with the intention of returning to Inuyasha and the others, but her conversation with the young youkai exterminator had left Sesshomaru's twin feeling depressed and unprepared to face the others so soon. Her flirtation with Miroku earlier during the day had helped to take her mind off of the duty she must fulfill in order to avenge her husband and son. And while it had been fun, she also wondered what right did she really have to invade on Sango's territory? Obviously Miroku had enjoyed the flirtation because he had flirted right back with Kaiya, but was it really worth it in the end? If it wound up hurting someone like Sango, who had already been through so much pain, was a little distraction really worth it? With a sigh, Kaiya flicked a blade of grass into the water and lay down so that she was facing the stars. Then, closing her eyes, she smiled as memories of days gone by with her husband and her son enveloped her… The day she and Toshiro first met; the day she and Toshiro had discovered she was pregnant; the day Michio was born, and so on. Thinking of the happier days in the past, Kaiya began to drift off to sleep. Lying on the river bank, Kaiya was almost completely asleep when the worst memory she possessed suddenly hit her like a lightening bolt. Lying there, she had been originally thinking of only a few weeks before they had been killed when Michio and Toshiro had both returned home from a day of successful fishing, when the memory of the day she had found them dead suddenly intruded and ruined the rest of the memories. Suddenly, she saw herself in her mind as she returned home from a morning walk only to discover that Toshiro and Michio did respond when she called their names. This, in itself was unusual, but at the time she had shrugged it off, assuming that they had gone fishing once again -- ever since they had found Shikon no Tama shards, their father and son fishing trips had become more and more frequent as they were becoming quite successful. Still with a smile on her face, Kaiya remembered, she had gone walking up to their cabin, only to have her heart break upon entering. As soon as she had opened the door, Kaiya could tell that something was not right. Toshiro and Michio had left the fire burning in the middle of the home; had the two of them gone out fishing, they would have put it out beforehand. Toshiro, himself, was always the one who made sure that the fire was out. That was one of the things that had always endeared him to Kaiya. Even though he knew that she was a youkai with incredible powers, he was always worried that something would happen to her and wanted to protect her whenever he could.
That was why that day the combination of the lit fire and their lack of responsive to her calling their names alarmed her. It was then that she heard the strangled cry from several yards away. Fear filled Kaiya. She knew that voice! As fast as lightning, Kaiya ran from the cabin and towards the direction of the voice. She arrived their just in time to see her son attempting to fight this large spider youkai. Rage filled her Kaiya and immediately, she transformed into her true self and attacked the youkai that DARED TO THREATEN HER FAMILY! The moment that it saw her, it smiled and went to approach her, but for some reason unknown it seemed to change its' mind and turned the other way. Kaiya was about to chase after when she heard her son say in a strangled voice, "Mom." Without a second thought, Kaiya forgot the creature and turned to her son who was obviously in pain. Looking at him, she could tell why. Even though he had been fighting against the spider youkai, it was a battle that was too great for a young hanyou, especially one who had never been taught to fight. Michio had wounds all over his body; wounds that Kaiya knew, even if they were healed, he would never be the same; his left arm was almost completely severed. Transforming into her human self, she asked him, "Yes?" "The . . . Shi. . . Shi. . ." Michio struggled.
"The Shikon no Tama shards?" Kaiya asked, not knowing what else would be so important for Michio to get out. Michio smiled even though it hurt him to do so, and attempted a nod but failed.
"Is that why that youkai attacked you two?" Kaiya asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Only a few feet away lay the body of her husband, Toshiro; she could already tell that he was dead, obviously from an attempt to protect their son. "Naraku," Michio stated. Kaiya frowned, wondering what Michio was getting at. "Naraku?" she began, then realization sweeping over her. She had heard that their was a powerful youkai hunting Shikon no Tama shards with that name. "Was that the youkai who attacked you?" Michio just smiled, knowing that he could not nod and Kaiya bit her lip in an useless attempt to stop the tears from falling. Without a word, Michio placed his hand in his mother's and then collapsed. Kaiya shuddered with pain, knowing that their was nothing she could do. Quickly, she opened Michio's palm and saw that in his hand held the Shikon no Tama shards that he and his father had collected. Then, not caring about anything else except for the loss she had just suffered Kaiya let out a howl that carried her pain for miles around…
From up in a tree, Naraku smiled as he watched his latest creation go to work. His latest "offspring" had the ability to make you relive your worst memories time and time again so that you would go insane. This of course, leaving his enemies weak and useless so that he could grab their Shikon no Tama shards whenever he wanted. However, seeing this familiar youkai lie their in pain as she relived the murders he, himself, had committed to her husband and son. Those were two murders that he had enjoyed committing, however, he did not stay to collect the Shikon shards once he saw her appear. He was Naraku, after all. And he was not stupid. He had been able to see from the rage in her eyes that she would have killed him in one swipe. He had been prepared to face such a strong youkai that day. Now, though, was a different story and he enjoyed watching someone who had stolen such an easy victory from his grasp relive their worst memories. He grinned to himself as he thought to himself the next victim he would give to his offspring.
Inuyasha.