Chapter Two: Moonlit Secrets
"Bitch… Let me go." Inu-Yasha flailed.
"Inu-Yasha, I have a name." The girl repeated before shoving him over the edge.
The girl demon had drug Inu-Yasha down to the water before pushing him in and jumping in herself. She bathed quietly on the other side of the stream with her back toward him. He felt kind of sorry that she had had to drag him the whole way.
"I'm sorry." Inu-Yasha spoke quietly.
"For what?" the girl demon answered.
"For well… I'm sorry that you had to drag me down here."
"Are feeling alright?" The girl asked with confusion glancing at him over her shoulder. She wasn't quite sure why he was apologizing; any other hanyou was just as ornery as Inu-Yasha had been when she dragged them down to the river.
"Fine." Inu-Yasha stated.
Inu-Yasha's wonder soon got the better of him. "How long have you been living like this, Kiame?"
She thought about his question before answering. "All my life, I guess."
"If it's not to much to ask… I've always thought you were dead. What happened that night? How did you survive?"
She turned to face him with his questions. "I don't remember all of it." She confessed. "We had been playing and Sesshoumaru showed up. He looked at me then stared attacking. I tried to use my powers on him, but he was just too strong. He wanted me suffer so he left me to die. I can't really blame him. To brother, we are just mere insects that deserve to be squashed. Shadow saved my life that night. Course, you haven't met her yet. She's my best friend. I don't remember much right after that, but Shadow and I have been building a new, protected lifestyle for hanyous. When I went back to find you and ask you if you wanted to join us…you were pinned to a tree by a sacred arrow. I waited till my human night and asked a young woman in the village about you. She said that her elder sister had pinned you there with the last of her will in order to stop you from the chaos you brought to the land. She said that the only way you could be awakened again was if a miko took pity on you and freed you from your slumber. I take it that the miko is the funny looking girl you travel with."
"Yeah." Inu-Yasha answered almost afraid of what the answer would bring. Kagome was a VERY powerful miko, even if she didn't realize it.
The two were standing about a foot away from each other. They were facing each other and Inu-Yasha was moving closer to her. Kagome peered from nearby bushes. That bitch is seducing him! Who the hell does she think she is? Kagome breathed quick breathes in annoyance as the girl reached her hand from the water and brushed back Inu-Yasha's hair on his right side with her dainty claws.
"How's your wound?" She asked apologetically. "I didn't mean to…"
"I know" Inu-Yasha finished for her. "It's fine."
"Let me see. Maybe there's an herb around here to speed your healing. After all, it is my fault." She moved Inu-Yasha's hair out of the way. "You're healed. Well isn't that something. …Is it sore?"
Inu-Yasha tried to hide the fact that it was still sore, but she picked up on his injury. He flinched slightly as she touched his neck.
"I can help that." She spoke diverting her eyes letting Inu-Yasha know she wouldn't force her help upon him.
Inu-Yasha smiled slightly. "That's okay. I'll be healed by morning."
"Pity. There's something I wanted to show you tonight."
Her secret caught Inu-Yasha's attention. His eyes grew wide with curiosity. "What?" He didn't like being kept in the dark.
"It's complicated. In a nutshell, we have found a way for hanyous to safely access their demon sides. I want to show you, but you can't be hurt or you might lose control."
The second half of her message though soft and gentle seemed to be a harsh warning. He knew all to well that he would become a monster if he lost control. "Then help me." He whispered.
"Really?" She asked looking at him with wide eyes.
"Yeah." He confirmed softly with a slight smile.
The female demon moved behind Inu-Yasha placing her hands between his shoulders and neck.
She reached her teeth up to the back of his neck and bit him. Kagome covered her mouth. What the hell is she doing?
The female demon released her bite and began to massage Inu-Yasha's neck. Inu-Yasha didn't make a defensive move at her bite nor did he stop her touch.
Inu-Yasha dropped his head down to the front allowing his ears to droop to the sides. He's enjoying this? I don't believe him!
Kagome then stared at the female demon. She stayed alert but showed the same relaxed qualities that Inu-Yasha displayed. Kagome couldn't take it anymore. The sight was too much for her.
Tears streamed down her face.
Then she realized that Inu-Yasha always knew when she was crying so she crept away before Inu-Yasha could smell her tears.
The massage session was short, but effective. Inu-Yasha thanked her for her kindness then he left the bath.
"Oh Inu-Yasha, when the moonlight illuminates the place where your friends camp, then we will precede, no sooner."
Inu-Yasha nodded. She had shown him so much already. Knowing that she was still alive and that she was a leader of such a large pack was extraordinary. Finding out that the thing he desired most might be within his reach was too tempting to turn down.
He went to find the others. If this didn't work the way it was suppose to, then he wanted this friends to be the ones to put him down, particularly Sango and Miroku; He knew all to well that Kagome couldn't kill him without dying herself.
Kagome walked back into camp.
Everyone stopped what he or she was doing and went to console Kagome.
Kagome made her way over to the tree Miroku and Sango were lounging under and sat down near them. She wanted to complain and sit Inu-Yasha for his actions but she knew that that would only drive him further away. Kagome didn't know what to do.
She pulled her legs up and dropped her head on her knees continuing her crying session.
"Oi" Inu-Yasha stated as he walked into camp. "Kagome, why are crying?"
Kagome curled up in a tighter ball refusing to acknowledge that Inu-Yasha was concerned about her.
Inu-Yasha stopped in front of her, hands folded beneath his hatori. "Kagome, It's no use trying to hide. I'm a demon remember? I can smell your blood, your sweat, even your tears."
"Leave me alone… you… you… two-timer!"
Two-timer? What the hell is she talking about? "Kagome? What's this about?"
"Don't play dumb Inu-Yasha! I saw you. I saw you at the bath with that… that bitch!" Inu-Yasha smiled and giggled to himself.
"Your jealousy is misplaced. You have nothing to worry about. Yes. She is a half dog demon, but so am I."
Sango stared at Inu-Yasha. Something was different about him since his return. Inu-Yasha's attitude was forever changing so she'd given up on trying to understand that, but something was different; what was it?
Miroku happened to notice it too.
The uncomfortable nature of the two of them sent worry into each other.
Sango stood up in front of Inu-Yasha, she finally figured it out; Inu-Yasha's eyes were larger than they should have been. Moonlight flooded the camp and Inu-Yasha's eyes were as wide as they should have been in utter darkness. "It's your eyes." Sango stated under her breathe staring into Inu-Yasha's face.
Miroku jumped right in. "Inu-Yasha, are you drugged?"
Inu-Yasha stared at the two in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Sango decided that if he had been drugged then he might not understand their questioning. "Doesn't it seem bright out here to you?"
"What…Why?"
Miroku knew by this point that Inu-Yasha didn't realize that his eyes were much more dilated than they should have been. "Answer the question Inu-Yasha."
"A little. Why?" Inu-Yasha's mood may have been becoming fouler but his body still remained completely relaxed.
"Inu-Yasha," Sango started, "we want to know what happened to you. Can you tell us everything that happened to you since you left us with that girl demon?"
"We took a bath. Honestly, I think you guys are the ones that should be interrogated."
Miroku cornered Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha, we need to know what happened to you while you were there."
"Nothing. We bathed, we talked and she… gave me…a…massage." Inu-Yasha diverted his face with a slight blush creeping over it. His embarrassment only infuriated Kagome.
"A massage?" She burst out. "She touched you, and bit you and…and rubbed you." Kagome began to shake. "And you… enjoyed it!"
Sango and Miroku looked at each other confused. Sango was the first to question what they were thinking. "Inu-Yasha, Where exactly did she bite you?"
"Tell them Inu-Yasha," Kagome burst out again. "She bit you on the back of your neck. Is that what turns you on?"
Miroku questioned next ignoring Kagome's jealous outburst. "The back of the neck?"
Inu-Yasha looked curiously at Miroku before giving a brief nod.
Miroku continued his questioning without diverting his eyes from Inu-Yasha.
"Kagome, did Inu-Yasha pull back from her fangs?"
Kagome shook her head. She didn't know what that would have to do with anything.
"Ah." Miroku concluded.
"What?" Sango questioned.
"Her bite must have flooded Inu-Yasha's system with painkillers. It's not surprising actually. Mother animals pick up their young by the scruff on the back of their necks to silence them when danger is near. The painkillers that flood their systems allowing the mother to transport her young to a safer place without a problem."
Miroku then diverted his attention from the group in general to Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha, were you in pain?"
Inu-Yasha diverted his gaze from theirs. He had never been one to admit pain and it really hadn't been that bad. "My shoulder was a little sore." Inu-Yasha stated rotating his shoulder as if working out the kinks.
"Ah." Miroku concluded quite proud of himself.
"Inu-Yasha!" They heard a feminine voice call. "It's time."
Inu-Yasha nodded then turned to Sango and Miroku. "We're going to try something. If I lose control, I want you to kill me."
Shock flushed through all their faces. What the hell was he going to try?
"Inu-Yasha!" The voice called again. "Yeah, Yeah, I'm coming." Inu-Yasha responded strolling over to where the female demon stood.
He stood face to face with her. She started talking. "Before we begin I must ask you a question."
Inu-Yasha nodded as the others still stood in shock. Miroku and Sango didn't like the fact that they didn't know exactly what Inu-Yasha was going to do.
The female demon started her interrogation of Inu-Yasha. "The answer to this question will determine if the offer from before is possible of you. Do you understand?"
Inu-Yasha nodded.
"Inu-Yasha, do you like being a hanyou?"
Something in the question sent a pain to Kagome's stomach. Kagome began breathing fast. She couldn't catch her breath. "Inu-Yasha!" She called out as a warning to him. Inu-Yasha turned to see Kagome. With all they had been through Inu-Yasha still craved the power of a full demon, but he had come to accept that the power of a full demon would drive him away from his friends, it would drive him away from Kagome and that was unacceptable.
"Yes." Inu-Yasha stated.
She continued, "Come spirits, gather 'round as we invite Inu-Yasha to our hanyou order. Inu-Yasha has claimed to like being a hanyou. He has befriended both humans and demons alike. Inu-Yasha has done what few of us strive to do. …Inu-Yasha, I give you this to show your demon side that power is earned through honor not greed."
She reached up to her own neck pulling free the blue teardrop jewel that hung from a single cord. Then she turned it around and placed her necklace around Inu-Yasha's neck.
"The moonlight will guide us." She concluded her speech turning her head to where the moonlight shown down through the trees.
The edge of the moonlight sent a strange sensation through Inu-Yasha. It was pleasant but unpleasant at the same time. He felt his demon blood taking over his body, but the jewel she had placed around his neck was suppressing the demonic aurora from taking full control. Inu-Yasha's claws lengthened as he stood there.
Kagome gasped. Inu-Yasha was changing. He had ducked his head down, but she could still see the demonic purple stripes emerging on his pale half-shaded face.
Miroku and Sango grabbed their weapons. They weren't sure exactly what was going on, but Inu-Yasha's words kept coming back to them… 'If I lose control, I want you to kill me.'
Without thinking Kagome ran to Inu-Yasha and fell into his arms. Inu-Yasha held her then loosened his hold staring down at his claws.
"I'm alright." He etched out.
Kagome pulled back from him a little confused. She looked up into his face. His face may have been scarred with the purple stripe, but his eyes remained their loving golden luster. In that instant, he resembled his brother. Sesshoumaru's hair was finely combed and he had two stripes instead of one, but an almost perfect match. Kagome reached her hand up into Inu-Yasha's hair brushing a small portion of it back to get a better look at him. In brushing his hair back she felt something she had never felt before. She pushed his hair out of the way and felt again. It was an ear! He had true demonic ears! He had all the demonic features and hadn't lost control… at least not yet.
