Hyo minna!^^ Here we have come to chapter 5, where we finally get to see Inuyasha in human form. For those who didn't really understand what happened in the last chapter, hopefully this will straighten things out for you. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay…I don't usually like to submit my chapters without checking them over a couple times, and even then it still takes me a while to phrase things in a way that I feel presents the idea best.
To bonessasan: You are quite astute…that is very close to part of what happened and what's going on, but there is (as always) other little complications to (hopefully) make the story interesting.
To everyone else…I'm thrilled that you understood that Inuyasha was both the beast and Inu…that's why I had him spell out his name with a dash afterwards when he wrote it in the dust, mainly because the yasha half of him was missing.
This chapter might sound a little different, mainly because I'll actually have to write Inuyasha's character for the first time, and also due to the fact that I was a little pressed to get something out before I leave for vacation. Hopefully, however, this will still be enjoyable for you all to read. ONEGAI, R&R! It takes very little effort, and lets me know what I'm doing wrong, and what I'm not screwing up completely ^^;;; (mou, doesn't Jurei have a ton of confidence in her writing ability? -_-;;;;)
Disclaimer: The fact that I'm a teenager who doesn't even have a job, writes fanfiction, and has to read the Inuyasha translations on the web should give you a hint. I also aplologize for Inu's potty mouth, seeing as I tried to stay as close to his actual verbal translation as possible (i.e. what he sounds like in Chris Rijik-san's Inuyasha manga translations).
Now, I present for your reading pleasure, the next segment of "Labyrinth"!
Labyrinth
~An Inuyasha fanfiction story presented by Jurei~Chapter 5: The Bargain
The Scrying Basin lay on the floor, broken clean in two equal halves, its contents spilled across the floor in a mixture of fire, spelled stone, and black ice.
Naraku's chest heaved, his crimson eyes narrowed in pure hatred and rage. His pale, perfect hands were clasped into fists so tight that his knuckles showed white through the skin, shaking with suppressed emotion. How could that weak little girl…how dare she!
If it hadn't been completely against the dark youkai's nature, he would have screamed out loud, though the kami knew he was doing so within his head. How could an untrained, half-amnesiac girl with no great magical talent to speak of undo what the original White Miko had done fifteen years ago? It was unprecedented, impossible!
So impossible that it led Naraku to believe that there had been another force at work. A force with the power not only to reunite a hanyou soul with its body, but to decimate his Scrying Basin, despite the countless wards and charms he had infused within the stone itself…it would take him days, even weeks, to replace it.
In a very un Naraku-like fashion, he growled, the sound rumbling threateningly through the air and into the stone walls of the chamber. With his powers still recovering, he would be unable to do anything other than hope that one of the more vicious creatures or traps would claim the girl's life, though the possibility had become much smaller now that the Beast was restored to his original form.
Almost worst of all was the fact that he had lost one of the most vital tools in his quest to escape the spells and wards that bound him. Though those outside of the labyrinth would have no way of knowing that the Beast no longer roamed its passages, the enemies who still lived within the prison would soon discover the truth. All those who he had dismissed as soon-to-be-expired problems just might become serious obstacles once again…
Hajima Miroku, Tsukiyama Kouga, Sesshoumaru…it was very likely that he would be meeting them once again.
He cursed, throwing himself into his throne-like chair angrily.
They could not be allowed to escape from the maze. Though it was doubtful that the latter two would join forces with anyone, each possessed enough power to become a serious nuisance. As to the monk…well, he would most probably aim to share his powers with the first anti-Naraku group he could find, which would make him a greater threat. Also, it could not be denied that revenge was a powerful tool…
The dark youkai sat in deep thought for a while, fingers removing a set of black, unornamented harmony balls from his robe before beginning to toy with them restlessly. One of the few goods to make their way safely from a land outside of the island's reach (he thoroughly disapproved of importing anything from somewhere that was not under his control), though he had to admit that the motion allowed him to think more easily.
In respect to directly affecting events in the labyrinth, he was helpless at the moment. He was even unable to see what transpired within his domain now that his Scrying Basin was gone. However, he could still work small magics…
Naraku straightened, the thought coming to him slowly and clearly. He still had her…all be told, it would take a while to transport her to the opportune place at the right time, but he had little doubt that she would be able to deal with them. Maybe they would destroy each other when the time came…he grinned at the thought, though the expression was by no means pleasant.
He then stood up, the material of his fine clothes rustling with the movement, yet falling perfectly with no need for adjustment, just as the cloth had been spelled to do. Yes…there would be need to visit the Miko before he summoned her to him…
His footsteps echoed softly on the stone of the floor as the dark youkai made his way out of the chamber. Maybe things weren't as inopportune as they had seemed at first…
The corridor he entered was much darker than the room had been, and any normal person would have had to pause and let their eyes adjust to the change in lighting. Naraku moved through the darkness like he was part of it, which wasn't far from the truth. On he passed, through passages and stairways, past doors, and up more flights of stairs. Throughout the entire trip, however, not one single window broke the monotony of the walls.
In front of him, the passage seemed to get darker and darker until finally, a faint blue light broke through the shadows, causing the dark youkai to squint briefly before entering the room. He flinched only briefly as the blue light washed over his body, making him resemble more than ever the dark figure of a demon from hell.
Naraku then stopped, toes inches away from an iridescent barrier that filled most of the room, the source of the unearthly glow. He then smirked his cold, grim, smile at the dark-haired girl who knelt within the circle of light, dressed in a jade-coloured kimono with white and pink designs covering the top half of the garment; unusual clothes for one who practiced the arts of the miko.
She met his eyes, her own dark brown orbs glaring at him defiantly. He chuckled humourlessly.
"Good evening, Sango-sama…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What's with you, bitch? I'm not a damn dog; my name is Inuyasha."
Kagome stood, mouth wide in shock, eyes blinking furiously at the being that had moments ago been a white dog and beserker-youkai. There was something wrong with this picture…people didn't just meld together all of a sudden…
The amber eyes narrowed, glowing molten gold as their owner stood up with an angry scowl. "But you should already know that, Kikyo. After all, it's your fucking fault that Naraku stuck me in here in the first place…your fucking spell that screwed things up for me in the first place, and your damned spell that just knocked me flat on my ass…"
The girl was only dimly aware that the youth in front of her was at the least slightly delusional, calling her "Kikyo" and all…or maybe she was…maybe he wasn't real, and she had just imagined him with the aid of a nice bump on the head…
"…you must be getting rusty, Kikyo…" the dog-eared boy was saying, his face creased in a smirk, though bitterness tainted his tone, "there was a time when you could kill me with a touch…or maybe you actually feel guilty for once…after all, if Naraku escapes, it'll all be your fault-"
"W-wait! What are you talking about!?" Kagome's retaliation instinct kicked in, finally snapping her out of her shocked state enough to understand that she was being insulted, "I am not 'Kikyo', whoever that is…my name is Kagome! Where is Inu?"
Inuyasha scowled, looking both wild and angry as he replied. "For the last time, it's Inuyasha! And you're crazier than I thought if you expect me to believe that…you are Kikyo!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not! What makes you think that I am 'Kikyo', anyway? Besides the fact that you are completely delusional?"
Inuyasha didn't even slow down enough to realize he was being insulted before answering. "You're the only woman that has that disgusting scent!"
At this he sniffed at the air in front of Kagome in a very dog-like fashion, almost as if to prove his point.
Then he sniffed again, more carefully…
"…you're not Kikyo…" he stated, sounding both surprised and a little sulky. Kagome got the impression that he didn't like being proved wrong.
"…Which is what I have been trying to tell you!" replied the girl, her own face openly displaying her annoyance and anger.
"Keh! You couldn't be Kikyo, wench…Kikyo was prettier, more feminine! …And her scent was nicer…yours makes me want to wretch!"
"Why, you! My name is not "wench" either! It's Kagome! Ka-Go-Me!" she annunciated each syllable, almost as if trying to get the point across as clearly as humanly possible, seeing as it seemed to take so much effort to get the boy to understand anything, "and baths do not abound in the labyrinth, you know!"
At this, Inuyasha merely turned his head away, eyes closed in a defiant expression. "Keh!"
Kagome sighed, suddenly tired again. "You seem to have neglected to explain," she reminded the youth, "…where is Inu?"
The amber-yellow eyes were back on her, this time looking at her like she was the dimmest creature alive. "If you mean that white dog, he's back to being where he belongs," he spat, his voice especially harsh.
The girl swiftly caught on to what he wasn't saying. The white dog-ears proved it…she wasn't imagining things. Inu and the Beast had really melded together to become this boy…Inuyasha. It made sense, in an odd-twisted-logic sort of way. From what he said, it appeared that the two had originally been one being and had somehow been split apart…and Kagome didn't doubt for a minute that "Kikyo" had somehow been involved, especially taking in to account the way that he reacted so violently to her memory.
She eyed the youth, taking in his appearance from the white dog-ears that poked through his silvery-white hair to his strong, handsome face, to his well-muscled torso, and finally, to his bare feet from where they poked out of his hakama. She was also now doubly grateful that he was wearing some article of clothing, though she could have done with a shirt as well...
Another sigh escaped her mouth, this time accompanied by a sadness that welled within her. It looked like her canine companion was gone, and all that remained in his place was this rude, arrogant, callused…
'…adorably dog-eared…' her mind added, though she promptly stamped the thought out viciously.
…young man; a youkai, though there was something about him that suggested humanity as well.
Inuyasha noticed her pensive stare and glared back. "What the hell are you looking at, wench?" he snarled angrily.
Kagome turned away, resisting the urge to sigh again before murmuring, "Nothing…" her cheeks slightly pink.
"Keh."
There was something off about this boy, the girl decided. He was seemingly decided not to show any kind of emotion other than anger or indifference…
"Well, should we get going, then?" she asked, the suggestion carrying a decidedly dispassionate air.
Her feet had already carried her to stand directly in front of the shimmering gateway before she realized that the youth wasn't following her. She turned back, giving him an inquisitive glance.
"What the hell makes you think I wanna go anywhere with you?" Inuyasha demanded, his tone just as dispassionate as hers had been moments before, "you're a useless wench with a disgusting scent, remember?"
Kagome sweatdropped. Why did he have to be so darn stubborn…it looked like she would have to try a different approach.
"Well, fine then!" she replied, turning away and tossing her hair over her shoulder in a nonchalant manner, "Who needs a childish little dog-boy like you? You'd only be in my way, anyway…"
From the corner of her eye, she distinctly saw the aforementioned dog-boy's ears twitch.
"…And you probably can't do much of anything useful…I've seen better biceps on a baboon. Brighter-looking baboons, too…"
Inuyasha's frame was stiffening, giving his body the look of someone who has just been made aware of the fact that an extremely poisonous spider has crawled up their pantleg. Kagome also distinctly saw his hands flexing as if sorely tempted to cleave her in half…she wondered momentarily if insulting someone with claws capable of slicing a piece of rock in two was the brightest move, but dismissed the thought and barreled onwards anyway.
"…You're probably just as lost in here as I am…I bet you couldn't find us a way out of here even if all the corridors arranged themselves into one neat little row-"
"Shows how much you know, bitch!" Inuyasha retorted, finally cutting her off, "I could get us out of here in about a week or less if I wanted to!"
Kagome smiled internally. Finally…what she had been waiting for…
"Then prove it," she stated, almost too quickly.
"No. Now shut the hell up and hand over the Shikon no Tama."
The girl fell over anime-style. So much for that idea…and to make matters worse, he had completely lost her with that last little demand. What was he up to now? And what in the name of the seven hells was the …whatever he had just said?
"Ano…beg your pardon?" she inquired carefully, "What was that last bit?"
Inuyasha snorted. "How dim are you, exactly? I told you to give me the Shikon no Tama! I know you've got it somewhere…so hand it over!"
Kagome could feel the irritation she had felt with him earlier building up again. "I don't have it-"
Then the beginnings of an idea caused her to stop short. It was risky…but worth a shot nonetheless. Would it work…?
"…but I know where it is."
The inuyoukai looked decidedly interested in her for the first time, and even a little reasonable. "Well, out with it, wench!"
She felt heartened by this. Her idea might even work. "I'll tell you…I'll even take you to it…"
He leaned forwards, the angry scowl leaving his face for the first time since he had become whole.
"…when and if you get me out of here."
The scowl was back in an instant.
"No way in fucking hell! Why should I help you out if I can just kill you and take the thing myself?"
"Because I would have to have it on my person in the first place for you to do that," she said, barely needing to feign the weariness in her voice. Dealing with this…this…boy was leaving her mentally drained…why did she want him along, again? Oh yeah…because on her own, she was as good as dead.
Inuyasha crossed his arms, giving off his usual "Keh!" response.
"Also, I'm the only one who can tell you where it is…and if you do not help me out, who known what might happen to me…"
She was beginning to understand the language of the twitching ears by now, and she took the almost invisible flick as a sign that he was at least half-listening to her.
"Just about anything in here could destroy your chances of ever finding it…if I were to die-"
He whirled away, staring hard at the floorstones as the wheels in his mind turned. It was possible that she was telling the truth…regular contact with the Shikon no Tama would have left her carrying its scent faintly, depending on how long it had been since she had last touched the jewel. There was always the chance that she was presently carrying it on her, but if he killed her and she wasn't carrying it, he was screwed. No…it was safer to trust her, for now…after all, he could always just kill her later if it turned out that she was lying…
Dimly, he wondered when it had become so easy for him to think of killing someone so callously, but pushed the thought back, half-positive that he didn't want to know. This decision also would mean that he would have to admit he had been wrong. "Dammit…"
"Do we have a deal?" Kagome asked, wearing a knowing half-grin while offering her hand out to the youth.
Inuyasha's scowl darkened considerably.
"…Deal," he finally agreed, gripping her outstretched hand roughly before letting go of it as if it extended contact would poison him.
"Well then, since that's over with, now shall we get going?" the runner inquired, turning back to the gateway.
The inuyoukai grunted.
As they approached the shimmering sheet of magic, however, Kagome couldn't help but wonder just how she would manage to avoid being killed when the time came…she remembered the brief contact with his hand, and the iron-like feel of his brief grip, as well as just how sharp and long his claws were up close. How on earth would she manage to escape his anger when he discovered that she actually had no clue what the Shikon no Tama was, let alone where it could possibly be?
She let out an involuntary shiver, sneaking a sideways glance at her companion. A companion out of necessity, she reasoned, and as soon as they got out of the labyrinth (provided that he had been telling the truth about being able to get them out), she would be gone faster than you could say "Naraku's a bastard".
There was always the chance (as in snowball's-chance-in-hell kind of chance) that she would discover what the Shikon no Tama was before they escaped, and maybe even discover its location in time to keep herself in one distinct piece…
Kagome's eyes flickered over Inuyasha's claws once last time before she shivered, this time much more distinctly.
Nope…she was definitely heading for the hills as soon as the first chance presented itself once she was out of the prison's magical walls. There was no way that she would stay around Inuyasha longer than she needed to.
Briefly, she wondered what might have happened if she and Inu had never encountered the legendary Beast. Would she have taken him with her in her confrontation of Naraku, and her mission to this Sango, who she was barely beginning to remember…?
She smiled at the obvious answer. Of course she would have…Inu was her companion. As long as he wanted to stay around, she would have kept him…
Then what was it that made Inuyasha so different from Inu…?
Before she had a chance to try and work beyond the obvious answer of "he's a demon that wants to kill me" however, his gruff voice cut through her deep train of thought.
"Come on, wench! You're slowing us down!"
Kagome frowned, but remained silent. If there was anything of Inu left, he was buried deep down…very deep down. So far, that it seemed like her friend was gone completely…
She sighed softly, the sound full of sadness, yet fading completely as the two stepped through the archway, and into the second precident of the labyrinth.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, minna…I know that really sucked (so far, I think it's my worst chapter…-_-;;;), and I know it isn't exactly worth waiting two weeks for, but I hope it's helped to tide you over until the next part. Unfortunately, the next update will probably take quite a while, seeing as I'm leaving for Florida on the 16th and won't be returning until August 31st (just in time for school to start…*sighs*)
Those who couldn't care less, now please kindly talk amongst yourselves for the next little bit.
The soundtrack for this chapter is…well, definitely less than last time. Once again, Metallica's "S&M" has made its way back into my possession through the public library, and so I listened to almost nothing but that album for the last two or so weeks (man, I never get sick of that CD…^^;;;)
The songs from "S&M" most influencing this chapter are " – human", "Sad but True", "The Thing That Should Not Be", "One", "No Leaf Clover", and "Of Wolf and Man".
Admittedly, one or two songs from Metallica's "Garage inc." CD also made it in. These are "Turn the Page", and "Whiskey in the Jar".
…Okay, and "Faint", from Linkin Park's "Meteora" album, just because that song kicks.
For those who asked about websites where you can download Linkin Park, Evanescence, and Metallica…hn, I don't really know of any source other than media fileshare programs like Kazaa and Imesh. You might try the official Evanescence website (), or Lycos's MP3 download section. I know that Metallica is greatly against people stealing their music, so I don't really know of anywhere where you can get their stuff on the web other than (once again) the fileshare programs, but you might want to try visiting their website just in case ( or ).
Next chapter will be "Chapter 6: Chutes and Ladders" (yes, the name was taken from a Korn song, just because I think it fits). Yes, I know this chapter was supposed to be entitled "Haunted", but I decided to change it at the last moment, just because it no longer fit what I had written.
Ja ne till next chapter!^^
Arigato gozaimasu for reading. (_ _)*bows*
~Jurei-chan^6