Hikaru was grinding some herbs for a potion when she heard someone talk.
"Mother?"
She nearly jumped in surprise. The voice was the stranger that one of the villagers had brought earlier. He was awake now, but not coherent, probably delusional. She hurried to his side and looked him over. His eyes were open (golden like her eyes normally were) but they seemed clouded over. It could be the after effects of the sleeping gas he had been in.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he went on. She didn't know what he was talking about.
"Huh. What do you mean?" she said.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about my sister?" he explained.
"But I'm not your mother," she said. Hikaru leaned closer to him. His eyes widened and he gasped. The gasp started a coughing fit. Hikaru quickly called Juanyu for water.
******
It wasn't her. This woman only looked like Mother. She was too young. He should have known better. But at least she smelled human. He gasped and started coughing. Inuyasha heard the woman call out to someone and heard footsteps running.
"Help me lift him up," she ordered. A pair of strong hands lifted Inuyasha into a sitting position and another supported his head. He had never known another time when his body felt so heavy.
"Here, drink a little of this. It will help." A ladle was pressed to his lips and he gratefully drank. Whoever was holding the ladle let him have the water in sips. Gradually the coughing stopped and his head cleared.
"Are you feeling better?" a man's voice asked. No, it wasn't a real man, the smell was wrong. The scent wasn't like anything the half-demon had smelled before and it worried him.
"I think so. Thank you," he said grudgingly. He was on guard again. Inuyasha didn't know whether to trust these people or not. Better to be cautious than sorry.
She moved back to let him breath and the man stepped back also. "I'm glad. For a moment I thought there was something really wrong with you," the woman said. "My name is Hikaru. And this is my friend, Juanyu."
He turned his head and saw Juanyu. He was source of the strange scent. But he looked human. Then again, some of the most dangerous demons did.
"My name is Inuyasha. Where am I?"
"You are in my hut. I don't know the name of the village," she replied. He seemed tense. Why?
"Like I said, thanks for your help. I'll be leaving now," Inuyasha said. Tetsusaiga was leaning against the wall near the fire. He stood to get it.
"Wait! Don't move!"
He ignored Hikaru. And was repelled back into the bed he had been in. Inuyasha was shocked. How the hell did that happen? Then he saw the wards painted on the floor. "Bitch! Why did you do that?" he cried, full of rage.
Juanyu lunged in front of Hikaru to protect her. "We didn't know if we could trust you or not! It's a precaution in case you turned out to be an enemy," he shouted.
"Juanyu, that's enough. Inuyasha has a right to be mad. However," she turned to Inuyasha, "I did try to warn you. You didn't listen."
He hated to admit it, but she was right. Instead of admitting it out loud, he thrust his arms into his sleeves and sulked. The tension seemed to ease up then. Juanyu returned to dinner, but kept an eye on their 'guest'. Hikaru went back to the table and continued with her work. The scent of fresh herbs wafted through the air.
Hikaru must be the village's priestess. If she was, she certainly didn't look the part. Everyone ate some dinner, but none of them talked much. Inuyasha wasn't inclined to share anything with these strangers; Hikaru and Juanyu couldn't think of anything to ask. Eventually, they went to sleep. Inuyasha was leaning against the wall and Hikaru was opposite of him. Juanyu was curled up by the fire, much like a dog. The night passed quietly.
******
Inuyasha woke up a little before dawn and found the woman already up. She held the curtain covering the doorway to the side and was watching the sunrise. It was the next day. He yawned and stretched his arms. He actually had a good night's rest.
As he continued to stare at Hikaru, he saw the color of her hair change. At first, Inuyasha thought that it might have been a trick of the light, but it wasn't. Her hair was changing from black to a light brown, her ears were changing and moving up on her head, and claws were growing from her fingers. The girl was a half-demon! He gaped and was suddenly confronted with an outraged Juanyu.
"Bastard!" he screamed and lunged. Inuyasha moved quickly to the side, barely missing the out stretched hands. His movement was still limited by the wards on the floor. The two men wrestled on the floor until pain exploded in their heads.
"That is enough, both of you! Juanyu, get up off of him!" Hikaru cried out. She was standing over them holding a wet rag in her left hand and a staff in her right. Her expression was a mixture of annoyance and anger. "It's not like he wouldn't have found out anyway."
Reluctantly Juanyu got off of Inuyasha and went to the door. At the threshold, he turned to glare at the half-demon and let out a low growl. Then he stalked out. Hikaru shook her head at the departing man and bent to the floor. Inuyasha saw that she was wiping up the wards that had been drawn there.
"I'm sorry about that. For the two years that I have lived in the village, Juanyu has been the only person who knew when I lost my powers. No one else in the village knows. I guess it has become a matter of pride for him," she said.
Inuyasha sat up and watched her work. "No big deal. I can understand that. Why are you taking away the wards? You don't know if I can be trusted or not."
Hikaru finished her chore and stood leaning against the staff. "But I do trust you," she said. Her face softened and again Inuyasha was reminded of his mother. "I don't know why, but that's the way it is." She shrugged. He watched in amazement was the staff shrunk into a branch, which she stuck into her belt. She picked up a large tub from a corner and headed outside. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to. It isn't often that travelers come here," she said over her shoulder. "And you can get your clothes back."
He then noticed that he wasn't wearing his normal clothes. Something told him that they were in the tub she had outside. With a grunt, he got up and followed her outside. The sun rising help light up the small valley that village lay in. Inuyasha had to admit that it looked peaceful, but something wasn't right. Why would these people have a half-demon acting as their priestess and healer? The question nagged at him.
Inuyasha saw Hikaru washing his clothes and hanging them on a rod to dry. He didn't think that the people in the village would be willing to talk to him, so he might as well ask.
"Hello. You're feeling better, I hope. I'm washing these out to get rid of the last of that smell. How long were you in that mouth?" she asked. Hikaru regretted it the instant that it left her mouth. Inuyasha had no way of knowing how long he had been in there. It was foolish to expect him to know.
He didn't seem to care that she had asked the impossible of him. "I don't know, what day is today?"
"Today is the first of the month," she replied.
Inuyasha choked back an exclamation. The first of the month! That meant that the damn demon had been carrying him at least one month. And who knew in what direction. Inuyasha could be anywhere in Japan right now. Suddenly the enormity of trying to return to the others and Kagome overwhelmed him. The weight was such he fell to his knees in shock.
The girl noticed this and came to his side. "Don't worry. I'm sure that you will be able to find your way back to wherever you came from."
"And the sooner you leave the better!" Juanyu shouted from behind. He was standing there holding the feed basket for the birds. He was also still angry with Inuyasha for learning Hikaru's secret.
Hikaru could sense that this was going to be a long morning. Juanyu wasn't one to forgive easily (at least without a very good reason) and usually held a grudge. With a sigh, she took the basket from her friend and walked over to the tree. It was there that an idea came to her.
"Inuyasha, can you please come here?" she called out. The half-demon looked at her slowly then got up and came over.
Juanyu went on glaring at him as he fetched his bow and arrows. "I'll be hunting in the forest today. I should be back before sunset." Then ran off.
"So what do you want?" Inuyasha said. His voice was in a drawl and the tone told her that he might be interested but he was pretending that he wasn't.
She smiled. "I think that I have an idea how to help you get back." That certainly got his attention. Inuyasha stopped pretending to be disinterested and stood close.
Hikaru gathered some of the bird food in her hand and scattered it onto the ground. From within the branches, several small brown birds flew down, landed, and began to eat. Inuyasha watched for a bit in silence but got impatient. He was about to start yelling when Hikaru spoke up.
"These birds fly all over the country. And they speak to other birds they meet. If I can get them to bring me information on where you live, they might be able to find it and provide directions for you," she said calmly. She scooped and handful of the feed and poured into one of his hands. "Here, you can feed them too. Just throw it on the ground."
Inuyasha stared at it for a moment. Then a bird decided to fly down, perch on his hand, and eat from there. Others soon join the first one and the warrior had no idea what to do. Hikaru giggled at the sight and causally shooed the birds away. Quickly Inuyasha dropped the remainder of the food and moved behind Hikaru.
"Are you sure that they can do it?" he said pointing at the feeding birds.
She nodded. "Of course. Just tell me what your home is like and they will start looking." Reluctantly, he did begin to talk. But it took some prodding from Hikaru to get every thing that her little friends needed. When the flock finished eating, they took off.
"So now what?"
"We wait. Speaking of which, you'll have to wait a bit before your clothes will be dry enough to put on again. But the smell should be gone," she said. Then she turned and went back into the hut.
Inuyasha sighed and followed her without a word. This girl was the closest thing he had to an ally right now. With her weird companion itching to get in a fight with him, Inuyasha didn't want to be too far away from her. Especially not today.
Hikaru can back out of the hut carrying a wide basket filled with bottles and small pots.
"Where are you going now?"
"I'm going to the village. I'm the only one here that has any healing ability. I was about to go on my rounds. Would you like to come with me? Or maybe it might be better if you stayed here," she said. Something in her tone made Inuyasha think that she was torn whether to have him come with her or not.
"Ugh. I might as well go with you. It's not like I have anything else to do," he said. And together they started down the path. Neither of them said anything for a while. Then Hikaru decided to talk.
"There are some things that you need to know before we get to the village. Nine years ago, a wolf-demon named Sanusha came here with a pack of wolves and took over. Some of the men here tried to fight, but they were slaughtered. Sanusha ruled with a dark claw for seven years. Two years ago, I stumbled along this village by accident. After I had learned what was going here, I decided to try my best to end it. I managed to chase her out of the village and set up wards to keep her and other stronger demons out. I have stayed here since, helping when and where I can. But these people have a long memory and it is hard for them to forget what had happened to them. They don't trust easily, especially when the person appears to have demon blood in them. They tolerate me because I rescued them and I act as their priestess. I'm not sure how they will react to you. Just please stay by me and try not to get into any trouble," she said.
Inuyasha was quiet. There was nothing he could think of to say. Hikaru's story helped explain a lot of things, but not all. "But what about Juanyu?"
"Huh?"
"What about that guy? He smells weird, growls, and hangs with you when you just told me that most of the other humans can barely stand you. So what's the deal here?" he said.
She sighed. "Juanyu's father was one of the villagers that tried to fight back. He managed to kill off one of the wolves. It was after it had died did they learn. The body changed from a wolf to a man."
Inuyasha gasped, "Shadow-half demons. I've only heard about them. They're humans that have somehow become part demon. But they don't have all the same abilities of regular half-demons. They eventually go insane because of the change."
Hikaru nodded. "Sanusha was furious. She killed Juanyu's father. To make an example, she took Juanyu and bond his body with that of a wolf."
Inuyasha was shocked beyond any words that he knew. He would swear if he knew that right words. This went along to explain the boy a lot. Especially the smell. "So how come he didn't leave with Sanusha?"
"I managed to capture him and with a few of his hairs, make a kind of protection for him. It has worked so far. But some times I worry it isn't enough and that there isn't a way to undo what was done to him. Unless you know of something?" she sounded hopeful. Inuyasha saw the look in her eyes and was touched. She cared for Juanyu like a friend and was concerned for him. After all that she was doing for him, he didn't want to lie to her and right now he didn't have the heart to be bitter like usual.
He shook his head. "I haven't heard of anything. What I have heard is that some demons consider it a mercy to kill the shadow-halves before they go insane. I'm sorry."
Her face saddened and she lowered her head. "And there is something else as well. Juanyu's grandfather is the headman for the village. Juanyu would have taken the title after his grandfather's death. But because of what Sanusha did to him, he can never take the position. His cousin, Yawnin, is the heir. There are many grievances between those two. The headman is the only reason why I wasn't thrown out of the village at the same time as Sanusha. And Yawnin has made it clear that after his grandfather leaves, so will I."
The walk continued on in silence. As they approached the village, Inuyasha saw small signs of life. A few women sat in the doorways of their homes and a few children played under their joint supervision. All the animals were carefully penned up and the men were out in the fields. But to him, there was a sense of it all being a bit run down and old.
He could see why the villagers might be wary of him and Hikaru. The expressions of the women were strained and fearful. These were women that had survived Sanusha and her heinous pack, and didn't want to reminded of it. Fortunately, they showed a little warmth at seeing their healer walking by. Hikaru exchanged a few pleasant words with them before stopping at a hut. That was when she went to work.
Inuyasha had to admire how Hikaru handled her patients. She was kind but firm with them all. They listened to her advice and promised to take the potions she provided them earnestly. She only threatened with bodily harm when the patient pigheadedly refused to follow her instructions. But other than that, the people respected her. To him, Hikaru had made herself a real home here in this village.
They were having lunch in the home of the headman and his extended family at the old man's invitation. The children that were there were excited that Hikaru was there to visit them again and their elders showed her respect.
The headman may have been old, but he still had an air of authority and respect. Inuyasha could see why the villagers listened to him. He looked wise and would refuse to abandon his stand unless strongly convinced otherwise. But during the meal, Inuyasha saw that the man wasn't entirely well. His hands shook a little and the skin was tight over the face even though he had a good appetite.
The headman's remaining time was Inuyasha's mind during the walk back to Hikaru's hut. They had visited the rest of the huts after lunch and now they were heading back.
"I know that he isn't well, Inuyasha," Hikaru said. He gaped at her. How did she know what he was thinking?
"How did you know? I mean, what do I care about the ji-jii?" he replied off-handedly.
She smiled. "I don't really believe that, you know. You may seem tough, but you're a good man. I can tell. Besides, you keep looking over your shoulder to his hut. That's how I knew."
Inuyasha feigned indifference and nothing else was said between them for the rest of the trip. When they got back to the hut, Inuyasha found his normal clothes dry by now and quickly changed in the hut. He would have to leave soon, it was evening already. If he lingered for much longer, he'll be stuck here when night fell.
The half-demon finished changing and headed outside again. He could see Juanyu walking up the path with some rabbits slung over his shoulder. The man ignored Inuyasha as he went into the hut to prepare the rabbits for cooking.
Inuyasha walked over to where Hikaru was leaning against the tree. "I thought you should know. I'll be leaving soon. And thanks for all of your help, Hikaru," he said.
She looked shocked. "Are you sure that you won't stay a little longer. None of the birds have returned with information on your village yet. It might be wiser if you stayed until they have something."
He shook his head. "Nah. I've got to be going. I'll find my way."
She lowered her head. "If that is your wish. But I think you should know, your scent is changing even now. Is there something that I should know about you?" she whispered.
Inuyasha was caught off guard and looked surprised. Then he swore under his breath. He forgot that the change would include his scent. Kouga had smelled the difference once before and now Hikaru too. Inuyasha was screwed.
She giggled. "Don't worry. You can stay here until tomorrow. Juanyu has a hut of his own nearby and you can go in there after the sun goes down. I'll bring you dinner and no one else has to know."
He had no choice but to agree. The sun was disappearing behind the mountains and he could feel the change happening inside of him.
******
Hikaru felt sorry for Inuyasha. Tonight must be the night when he would lose his powers and he had hoped to be gone before she and Juanyu found out. But that wasn't an option now. It would be safer for him to stay here with her until morning. She sighed and went into the hut. Inside, Juanyu had rabbit meat roasting over the fire pit and was peeling vegetables to go with them.
"Juanyu, why don't we let Inuyasha have your hut tonight and you can sleep in here?" she asked. She hoped that he would go along with the idea. But the priestess knew her friend. It wasn't likely that he would be nice to someone he disliked.
He grunted. "Why should he? It would be easier to keep an eye on him if we all were in here," he replied. Through the window, Hikaru could see night falling rapidly. Normally, she didn't want to argue with him, but tonight was different.
"Please, Juanyu. I don't think that he will do any harm to the village or us. Have some faith in him, or at the least in me. My instincts say to trust him."
"With all do respect, my lady, my instincts say to trust him as far as I can throw the moon."
"But Juanyu."
"Oh, stop arguing. He won't change his mind. I'll probably be safer if I was in here with both of you anyway. Then I can protect myself better in case he decides to do away with me in my sleep," Inuyasha said as he came in. They both looked at him as he came in and stared.
"Inuyasha, you're human!" Juanyu yelped.
"Mother?"
She nearly jumped in surprise. The voice was the stranger that one of the villagers had brought earlier. He was awake now, but not coherent, probably delusional. She hurried to his side and looked him over. His eyes were open (golden like her eyes normally were) but they seemed clouded over. It could be the after effects of the sleeping gas he had been in.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he went on. She didn't know what he was talking about.
"Huh. What do you mean?" she said.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about my sister?" he explained.
"But I'm not your mother," she said. Hikaru leaned closer to him. His eyes widened and he gasped. The gasp started a coughing fit. Hikaru quickly called Juanyu for water.
******
It wasn't her. This woman only looked like Mother. She was too young. He should have known better. But at least she smelled human. He gasped and started coughing. Inuyasha heard the woman call out to someone and heard footsteps running.
"Help me lift him up," she ordered. A pair of strong hands lifted Inuyasha into a sitting position and another supported his head. He had never known another time when his body felt so heavy.
"Here, drink a little of this. It will help." A ladle was pressed to his lips and he gratefully drank. Whoever was holding the ladle let him have the water in sips. Gradually the coughing stopped and his head cleared.
"Are you feeling better?" a man's voice asked. No, it wasn't a real man, the smell was wrong. The scent wasn't like anything the half-demon had smelled before and it worried him.
"I think so. Thank you," he said grudgingly. He was on guard again. Inuyasha didn't know whether to trust these people or not. Better to be cautious than sorry.
She moved back to let him breath and the man stepped back also. "I'm glad. For a moment I thought there was something really wrong with you," the woman said. "My name is Hikaru. And this is my friend, Juanyu."
He turned his head and saw Juanyu. He was source of the strange scent. But he looked human. Then again, some of the most dangerous demons did.
"My name is Inuyasha. Where am I?"
"You are in my hut. I don't know the name of the village," she replied. He seemed tense. Why?
"Like I said, thanks for your help. I'll be leaving now," Inuyasha said. Tetsusaiga was leaning against the wall near the fire. He stood to get it.
"Wait! Don't move!"
He ignored Hikaru. And was repelled back into the bed he had been in. Inuyasha was shocked. How the hell did that happen? Then he saw the wards painted on the floor. "Bitch! Why did you do that?" he cried, full of rage.
Juanyu lunged in front of Hikaru to protect her. "We didn't know if we could trust you or not! It's a precaution in case you turned out to be an enemy," he shouted.
"Juanyu, that's enough. Inuyasha has a right to be mad. However," she turned to Inuyasha, "I did try to warn you. You didn't listen."
He hated to admit it, but she was right. Instead of admitting it out loud, he thrust his arms into his sleeves and sulked. The tension seemed to ease up then. Juanyu returned to dinner, but kept an eye on their 'guest'. Hikaru went back to the table and continued with her work. The scent of fresh herbs wafted through the air.
Hikaru must be the village's priestess. If she was, she certainly didn't look the part. Everyone ate some dinner, but none of them talked much. Inuyasha wasn't inclined to share anything with these strangers; Hikaru and Juanyu couldn't think of anything to ask. Eventually, they went to sleep. Inuyasha was leaning against the wall and Hikaru was opposite of him. Juanyu was curled up by the fire, much like a dog. The night passed quietly.
******
Inuyasha woke up a little before dawn and found the woman already up. She held the curtain covering the doorway to the side and was watching the sunrise. It was the next day. He yawned and stretched his arms. He actually had a good night's rest.
As he continued to stare at Hikaru, he saw the color of her hair change. At first, Inuyasha thought that it might have been a trick of the light, but it wasn't. Her hair was changing from black to a light brown, her ears were changing and moving up on her head, and claws were growing from her fingers. The girl was a half-demon! He gaped and was suddenly confronted with an outraged Juanyu.
"Bastard!" he screamed and lunged. Inuyasha moved quickly to the side, barely missing the out stretched hands. His movement was still limited by the wards on the floor. The two men wrestled on the floor until pain exploded in their heads.
"That is enough, both of you! Juanyu, get up off of him!" Hikaru cried out. She was standing over them holding a wet rag in her left hand and a staff in her right. Her expression was a mixture of annoyance and anger. "It's not like he wouldn't have found out anyway."
Reluctantly Juanyu got off of Inuyasha and went to the door. At the threshold, he turned to glare at the half-demon and let out a low growl. Then he stalked out. Hikaru shook her head at the departing man and bent to the floor. Inuyasha saw that she was wiping up the wards that had been drawn there.
"I'm sorry about that. For the two years that I have lived in the village, Juanyu has been the only person who knew when I lost my powers. No one else in the village knows. I guess it has become a matter of pride for him," she said.
Inuyasha sat up and watched her work. "No big deal. I can understand that. Why are you taking away the wards? You don't know if I can be trusted or not."
Hikaru finished her chore and stood leaning against the staff. "But I do trust you," she said. Her face softened and again Inuyasha was reminded of his mother. "I don't know why, but that's the way it is." She shrugged. He watched in amazement was the staff shrunk into a branch, which she stuck into her belt. She picked up a large tub from a corner and headed outside. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to. It isn't often that travelers come here," she said over her shoulder. "And you can get your clothes back."
He then noticed that he wasn't wearing his normal clothes. Something told him that they were in the tub she had outside. With a grunt, he got up and followed her outside. The sun rising help light up the small valley that village lay in. Inuyasha had to admit that it looked peaceful, but something wasn't right. Why would these people have a half-demon acting as their priestess and healer? The question nagged at him.
Inuyasha saw Hikaru washing his clothes and hanging them on a rod to dry. He didn't think that the people in the village would be willing to talk to him, so he might as well ask.
"Hello. You're feeling better, I hope. I'm washing these out to get rid of the last of that smell. How long were you in that mouth?" she asked. Hikaru regretted it the instant that it left her mouth. Inuyasha had no way of knowing how long he had been in there. It was foolish to expect him to know.
He didn't seem to care that she had asked the impossible of him. "I don't know, what day is today?"
"Today is the first of the month," she replied.
Inuyasha choked back an exclamation. The first of the month! That meant that the damn demon had been carrying him at least one month. And who knew in what direction. Inuyasha could be anywhere in Japan right now. Suddenly the enormity of trying to return to the others and Kagome overwhelmed him. The weight was such he fell to his knees in shock.
The girl noticed this and came to his side. "Don't worry. I'm sure that you will be able to find your way back to wherever you came from."
"And the sooner you leave the better!" Juanyu shouted from behind. He was standing there holding the feed basket for the birds. He was also still angry with Inuyasha for learning Hikaru's secret.
Hikaru could sense that this was going to be a long morning. Juanyu wasn't one to forgive easily (at least without a very good reason) and usually held a grudge. With a sigh, she took the basket from her friend and walked over to the tree. It was there that an idea came to her.
"Inuyasha, can you please come here?" she called out. The half-demon looked at her slowly then got up and came over.
Juanyu went on glaring at him as he fetched his bow and arrows. "I'll be hunting in the forest today. I should be back before sunset." Then ran off.
"So what do you want?" Inuyasha said. His voice was in a drawl and the tone told her that he might be interested but he was pretending that he wasn't.
She smiled. "I think that I have an idea how to help you get back." That certainly got his attention. Inuyasha stopped pretending to be disinterested and stood close.
Hikaru gathered some of the bird food in her hand and scattered it onto the ground. From within the branches, several small brown birds flew down, landed, and began to eat. Inuyasha watched for a bit in silence but got impatient. He was about to start yelling when Hikaru spoke up.
"These birds fly all over the country. And they speak to other birds they meet. If I can get them to bring me information on where you live, they might be able to find it and provide directions for you," she said calmly. She scooped and handful of the feed and poured into one of his hands. "Here, you can feed them too. Just throw it on the ground."
Inuyasha stared at it for a moment. Then a bird decided to fly down, perch on his hand, and eat from there. Others soon join the first one and the warrior had no idea what to do. Hikaru giggled at the sight and causally shooed the birds away. Quickly Inuyasha dropped the remainder of the food and moved behind Hikaru.
"Are you sure that they can do it?" he said pointing at the feeding birds.
She nodded. "Of course. Just tell me what your home is like and they will start looking." Reluctantly, he did begin to talk. But it took some prodding from Hikaru to get every thing that her little friends needed. When the flock finished eating, they took off.
"So now what?"
"We wait. Speaking of which, you'll have to wait a bit before your clothes will be dry enough to put on again. But the smell should be gone," she said. Then she turned and went back into the hut.
Inuyasha sighed and followed her without a word. This girl was the closest thing he had to an ally right now. With her weird companion itching to get in a fight with him, Inuyasha didn't want to be too far away from her. Especially not today.
Hikaru can back out of the hut carrying a wide basket filled with bottles and small pots.
"Where are you going now?"
"I'm going to the village. I'm the only one here that has any healing ability. I was about to go on my rounds. Would you like to come with me? Or maybe it might be better if you stayed here," she said. Something in her tone made Inuyasha think that she was torn whether to have him come with her or not.
"Ugh. I might as well go with you. It's not like I have anything else to do," he said. And together they started down the path. Neither of them said anything for a while. Then Hikaru decided to talk.
"There are some things that you need to know before we get to the village. Nine years ago, a wolf-demon named Sanusha came here with a pack of wolves and took over. Some of the men here tried to fight, but they were slaughtered. Sanusha ruled with a dark claw for seven years. Two years ago, I stumbled along this village by accident. After I had learned what was going here, I decided to try my best to end it. I managed to chase her out of the village and set up wards to keep her and other stronger demons out. I have stayed here since, helping when and where I can. But these people have a long memory and it is hard for them to forget what had happened to them. They don't trust easily, especially when the person appears to have demon blood in them. They tolerate me because I rescued them and I act as their priestess. I'm not sure how they will react to you. Just please stay by me and try not to get into any trouble," she said.
Inuyasha was quiet. There was nothing he could think of to say. Hikaru's story helped explain a lot of things, but not all. "But what about Juanyu?"
"Huh?"
"What about that guy? He smells weird, growls, and hangs with you when you just told me that most of the other humans can barely stand you. So what's the deal here?" he said.
She sighed. "Juanyu's father was one of the villagers that tried to fight back. He managed to kill off one of the wolves. It was after it had died did they learn. The body changed from a wolf to a man."
Inuyasha gasped, "Shadow-half demons. I've only heard about them. They're humans that have somehow become part demon. But they don't have all the same abilities of regular half-demons. They eventually go insane because of the change."
Hikaru nodded. "Sanusha was furious. She killed Juanyu's father. To make an example, she took Juanyu and bond his body with that of a wolf."
Inuyasha was shocked beyond any words that he knew. He would swear if he knew that right words. This went along to explain the boy a lot. Especially the smell. "So how come he didn't leave with Sanusha?"
"I managed to capture him and with a few of his hairs, make a kind of protection for him. It has worked so far. But some times I worry it isn't enough and that there isn't a way to undo what was done to him. Unless you know of something?" she sounded hopeful. Inuyasha saw the look in her eyes and was touched. She cared for Juanyu like a friend and was concerned for him. After all that she was doing for him, he didn't want to lie to her and right now he didn't have the heart to be bitter like usual.
He shook his head. "I haven't heard of anything. What I have heard is that some demons consider it a mercy to kill the shadow-halves before they go insane. I'm sorry."
Her face saddened and she lowered her head. "And there is something else as well. Juanyu's grandfather is the headman for the village. Juanyu would have taken the title after his grandfather's death. But because of what Sanusha did to him, he can never take the position. His cousin, Yawnin, is the heir. There are many grievances between those two. The headman is the only reason why I wasn't thrown out of the village at the same time as Sanusha. And Yawnin has made it clear that after his grandfather leaves, so will I."
The walk continued on in silence. As they approached the village, Inuyasha saw small signs of life. A few women sat in the doorways of their homes and a few children played under their joint supervision. All the animals were carefully penned up and the men were out in the fields. But to him, there was a sense of it all being a bit run down and old.
He could see why the villagers might be wary of him and Hikaru. The expressions of the women were strained and fearful. These were women that had survived Sanusha and her heinous pack, and didn't want to reminded of it. Fortunately, they showed a little warmth at seeing their healer walking by. Hikaru exchanged a few pleasant words with them before stopping at a hut. That was when she went to work.
Inuyasha had to admire how Hikaru handled her patients. She was kind but firm with them all. They listened to her advice and promised to take the potions she provided them earnestly. She only threatened with bodily harm when the patient pigheadedly refused to follow her instructions. But other than that, the people respected her. To him, Hikaru had made herself a real home here in this village.
They were having lunch in the home of the headman and his extended family at the old man's invitation. The children that were there were excited that Hikaru was there to visit them again and their elders showed her respect.
The headman may have been old, but he still had an air of authority and respect. Inuyasha could see why the villagers listened to him. He looked wise and would refuse to abandon his stand unless strongly convinced otherwise. But during the meal, Inuyasha saw that the man wasn't entirely well. His hands shook a little and the skin was tight over the face even though he had a good appetite.
The headman's remaining time was Inuyasha's mind during the walk back to Hikaru's hut. They had visited the rest of the huts after lunch and now they were heading back.
"I know that he isn't well, Inuyasha," Hikaru said. He gaped at her. How did she know what he was thinking?
"How did you know? I mean, what do I care about the ji-jii?" he replied off-handedly.
She smiled. "I don't really believe that, you know. You may seem tough, but you're a good man. I can tell. Besides, you keep looking over your shoulder to his hut. That's how I knew."
Inuyasha feigned indifference and nothing else was said between them for the rest of the trip. When they got back to the hut, Inuyasha found his normal clothes dry by now and quickly changed in the hut. He would have to leave soon, it was evening already. If he lingered for much longer, he'll be stuck here when night fell.
The half-demon finished changing and headed outside again. He could see Juanyu walking up the path with some rabbits slung over his shoulder. The man ignored Inuyasha as he went into the hut to prepare the rabbits for cooking.
Inuyasha walked over to where Hikaru was leaning against the tree. "I thought you should know. I'll be leaving soon. And thanks for all of your help, Hikaru," he said.
She looked shocked. "Are you sure that you won't stay a little longer. None of the birds have returned with information on your village yet. It might be wiser if you stayed until they have something."
He shook his head. "Nah. I've got to be going. I'll find my way."
She lowered her head. "If that is your wish. But I think you should know, your scent is changing even now. Is there something that I should know about you?" she whispered.
Inuyasha was caught off guard and looked surprised. Then he swore under his breath. He forgot that the change would include his scent. Kouga had smelled the difference once before and now Hikaru too. Inuyasha was screwed.
She giggled. "Don't worry. You can stay here until tomorrow. Juanyu has a hut of his own nearby and you can go in there after the sun goes down. I'll bring you dinner and no one else has to know."
He had no choice but to agree. The sun was disappearing behind the mountains and he could feel the change happening inside of him.
******
Hikaru felt sorry for Inuyasha. Tonight must be the night when he would lose his powers and he had hoped to be gone before she and Juanyu found out. But that wasn't an option now. It would be safer for him to stay here with her until morning. She sighed and went into the hut. Inside, Juanyu had rabbit meat roasting over the fire pit and was peeling vegetables to go with them.
"Juanyu, why don't we let Inuyasha have your hut tonight and you can sleep in here?" she asked. She hoped that he would go along with the idea. But the priestess knew her friend. It wasn't likely that he would be nice to someone he disliked.
He grunted. "Why should he? It would be easier to keep an eye on him if we all were in here," he replied. Through the window, Hikaru could see night falling rapidly. Normally, she didn't want to argue with him, but tonight was different.
"Please, Juanyu. I don't think that he will do any harm to the village or us. Have some faith in him, or at the least in me. My instincts say to trust him."
"With all do respect, my lady, my instincts say to trust him as far as I can throw the moon."
"But Juanyu."
"Oh, stop arguing. He won't change his mind. I'll probably be safer if I was in here with both of you anyway. Then I can protect myself better in case he decides to do away with me in my sleep," Inuyasha said as he came in. They both looked at him as he came in and stared.
"Inuyasha, you're human!" Juanyu yelped.