Author-chan's notes: HI AGAIN!!!! It's the second chapter! Yay! Please enjoy!!!
*Disclaimer- If I owned Inuyasha, I would be a millionaire, I wouldn't go to school or work, and I would have a hundred kitty-ear headbands!!! But unfortunately, I don't own Inuyasha, I'm not a millionaire, I go to school, and I don't have a hundred kitty-ear headbands. *cries*
A Clean Slate
(Chapter Two: The Magician)
Back with Naraku and Inuyasha
Inuyasha was still knocked out cold while Naraku began contemplating his next move.
"If I try to take him to my castle and make him my servant, there is a risk to that. If the bracelet were to break, the spells on it would be destroyed, and I'll be right back where I started," Naraku thought to himself as he looked at Inuyasha's "new" human child form, "However, if I kill him right now, I don't have to worry about Inuyasha ever again. Hmm. I suppose Inuyasha will have to die now."
"I have to admit, Inuyasha," Naraku said to the former hanyou's unmoving form, "it was almost fun playing with you and your little friends. I'm almost disappointed it ended this way. I expected you to give more of a fight. Good-bye Inuyasha. You disappointed me."
Naraku began to move in for the kill…
***
Not far from Naraku and Inuyasha
Two humans were walking in the forest. Both of them wore plain working kimonos, that had been patched a few times. One was a sixteen-year-old male whose hair was tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck (AN: Think of Miroku's hairstyle only this guy's ponytail is a little bit longer and thicker). He had very, very dark eyes, almost black, with odd golden flecks in them. The other was a ten-year-old girl with long black hair tied loosely with ribbons. Her eyes were a normal, everyday dark brown. The two were brother and sister.
"Onii-san, are we there yet?" the girl whined.
"We're almost at village, Kimiko-chan," her brother answered, "Just be patient." Kimiko pouted at her older brother, Aki. Aki sighed. Kimiko could be so impatient sometimes.
"Are we there yet?" Kimiko asked again.
"No," came the tired reply.
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we –"
"Look, Kimi-chan, we won't get there any faster if you keep asking me," Aki interrupted.
"Yes we can!" Kimiko said stubbornly, "If you used your magic to transport us there…"
"You know perfectly well that I can't do that," Aki sighed, "If the other villagers saw me using magic, they'll denounce me as a youkai."
Aki had a hobby that none of his neighbors knew about; he was a magician. His entire family was made up of magicians. But his family died five years ago in a fire, except for him and Kimiko. Now he was the only one left in his family to carry on their magical heritage since Kimiko didn't have any magical powers. At the moment the two siblings were heading back to the village where they lived after being away for a few weeks visiting another magician that lived in another village. Everything was peaceful (except for Kimiko's complaints now and then). But of course, the peace didn't last long.
"…You disappointed me," a voice said. Aki stopped in his tracks.
"Are we –" Kimiko started but Aki clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Quiet! Someone's out there," Aki whispered, "Just stay here while I check it out." Kimiko nodded once, and Aki let go of her. The young magician began to move towards the area where he heard the voice. Pushing aside some bushes he saw a man wearing a baboon pelt standing over a five-year-old boy. The boy seemed to be unconscious. Aki wondered if the baboon man was responsible. Aki watched as the man drew a knife from beneath the folds of his baboon pelt. (AN: I know Naraku doesn't use knives, but there is a reason why he is doing so now. There is also a reason why he's acting a little bit OOC. I explain it all in the Author's note at the end of the chapter.)
"Now die, you impudent thorn-in-my-side!!!" Naraku roared as he brought the knife down.
"NO! STOP!!!" Aki yelled, throwing his magic into his words. To Naraku's surprise, the knife stopped, just inches above Inuyasha's heart. And no matter how much he pushed, the knife stayed there and wouldn't budge another inch.
"What's this?!" Naraku cried, "Who's there?! Show yourself! NOW!!!" Aki pushed aside the bushes further and stepped into view.
"A magician! I thought your kind was extinct!" Naraku said in surprise.
"Who are you?" Aki asked, "What were you trying to do to that boy? A child is harmless!"
"Kukukukukukukuku!!!" Naraku laughed and gestured to the child on the ground, "Him? Harmless? Perhaps he is now."
"What do you mean?" Aki asked. Naraku laughed again.
"That is none of your concern, Magician," Naraku spat, "I went to great lengths to have that 'child' made as helpless as he is now. He has been a thorn in my side for far too long! I WILL kill him! Make no mistake about that!"
"Not if I can help it," Aki said defiantly, "The boy is under my protection. Step away from him now, and I can promise you that you will not get hurt."
"Kukukukukukukuku!!! You make me laugh, little magician," Naraku sneered, "I have a counter proposal for you; Go away, and I won't kill you!"
"No deal!" Aki yelled, "FLAME RINGS!!!" Two circles of fire surrounded Naraku, pinning his arms to his sides and tying his legs together.
"Don't even try to break my Flame Rings," Aki said smugly, "They're stronger than any metal chain ever created. Plus if you do try to break them, they burn you. Now, I'm going to take the boy, and when I'm far enough away from here, the Flame Rings will disappear. If you try to follow me, or if you try to hurt this child ever again, I'll get rid of you."
"Ha!" Naraku snorted, "Don't make me laugh, boy. If I wanted to I could break out of these little glowing lights. But I'll let you have that 'child' for now. I can wait to kill him. And what's even better, I can kill you along with him!"
"You're all talk, you baboon," Aki scoffed, as he walked over and picked up child's slumbering form, "You can't kill me if your life depended on it."
"Do NOT underestimate, Magician," Naraku spat, "I can promise you that hoards of youkai will chase after you, trying to kill that so-called 'child' in your arms. I'll make sure of that!!!"
"Whatever you say, baboon," Aki said offhandedly, as he walked away with Inuyasha. When Aki was out of earshot, Naraku began to laugh.
"Kukukukukukukuku!!! You have no idea what you're up against, little magician," Naraku cried out to empty air, "Inuyasha will bring you trouble, whether or not he is in the body of a human child! But what are you going to do when demons appear at your doorstep trying to kill Inuyasha? For every demon knows that Inuyasha is connected to the Shikon no Tama. Well that is, every demon except Inuyasha himself! You will be helpless! And Inuyasha will be no help to you! Enjoy your little 'victory' for now, Magician! The odds are against you, and you will not win! Kukukukukukukuku!!!"
"You're pathetic," a new voice from the trees called, interrupting Naraku's laughter.
"Who said that?" Naraku demanded, "Who are you?!"
"Kukukukukukukuku!!!" the stranger laughed. The stranger jumped out of the tree and landed right in front of Naraku. Naraku gazed at the stranger, and gulped in fear. It was another Naraku!
"Impossible!" the Naraku in the Flame rings gasped.
"So you say," the second Naraku said. The new Naraku made a gesture and the Naraku in the Flame rings disappeared. In his place was a wooden doll-like puppet, cut neatly in half. The second Naraku (the real Naraku) snorted.
"I hate defective puppets," Naraku muttered as he walked out of the clearing.
*Please read this! It's important!* Author-chan's notes: I hope I made that last part clear. *winces* Anyway, as you have probably gathered, the Naraku that put the bracelet on Inu-chan was only one of Naraku's puppets. However, this puppet was kind of screwed up in the head, and it sort of forgot that it was only an attachment of the real Naraku, began developing a slightly different personality, and it also began thinking that it was the true Naraku. And as we all know, the real Naraku didn't like that, and so he terminated the crazy puppet. Oh, the real Naraku knows about the bracelet.
