Ch 9: Inevitable Destiny
Tanrakuteki ran haphazardly in the debris looking for the weapons hidden in his now collapsed hut. Kaori slipped and fell, slicing her hand on an old sword. "Found one." She called as she hid her hand from Akiko's sight.
Akiko moved to where she was and grasped the handle, jerking the blade out from under the rubble. The blade on the sword was serrated and slightly rusted towards the handle but it would serve its purpose better than most other swords would. Stashing it in his waistband, he started rummaging around where Kaori had slipped and came across a whip that he handed to her.
Tanrakuteki came over to them, already piled with lots of different weapons. Akiko tried to see through all the mass of metal in different stages of decay, to his body but couldn't make anything out until the man started taking off a few swords and handing them to him.
Turning to Kaori, Tanrakuteki handed her a net and some rope. Then digging in the back of his pants, he handed her a few daggers and a sword of her own. "Go hand these out to the villagers that are still fighting and help them with the demons." He ordered quickly before he disappeared back up the dilapidated stairs and into the sunshine... and danger.
Kaori didn't have to be told twice, as soon as the man was gone, she was up the stairs like a flash, running for the nearest family hut she saw that had scuffle noises coming from it. Sweat poured down her back as the heat seemed to intensify as she ran. Slamming open one of the hut doors, she looked into the gloom only to hear slamming going on upstairs. Strengthening her backbone she rushed up to greet whatever was making the noises.
Akiko watched as Kaori darted up the stairs and disappeared into the light. He had caught sight of InuYasha, Kagome, and another demon at the other end of the village. Running as fast as he could, he threw swords to villagers that he saw along the way while he made a bee-line for where he had seen Kagome and InuYasha. The little demon was howling with rage as one of the other demons were currently ganging up on Kagome, who was currently battered and lying on the ground.
Pushing himself as hard as he could, Akiko rushed in and rammed at least two demons through the back with the swords in both of his hands. Jerking them free, he stabbed another two before any of the others could retaliate for killing off their fellow men. Swinging one of his extra swords free, he chopped the head of another one off just as another caught him from behind with his claws, tearing through his muscles and skin.
Taking his sword, he thrust it backwards into the side of the demon holding him. It howled in pain and rage and jerked the sword out of his grip as it tore away from him. But then Akiko was bombarded with plenty of other demons to take his place and do much more harm.
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InuYasha watched as the man he despised ran towards him with swords glinting like stars in his hands. As they became blood covered they gleamed with an unearthly red glow. Two of the many were in his hands and he proceeded to stab two demons in the back as fast as he could while he ran forward. Huddling against Kagome, he placed his hand over her chest checking for a pulse. He was happy to find that it was still beating and scooted her nearer Sesshomaru before he ran into the fray, determined not to be shown up by the human pansy.
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Akiko felt the little demon brush up against his thigh while the little one pulled loose a dagger from his pants. Slipping back out of the large crowd seemingly unnoticed, InuYasha placed the extra dagger in his pant's leg and made the other one ready to render as much of them, as was possible, helpless.
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Kaori burst out of the house having armed the couple that had been trying to1 fight defenseless in the upstairs of their house, but failing miserably and showing it in the blood they had spilled on the floor and that was pouring from wounds on their bodies. The demon in there had been relatively small but very fast. Chucking the weapons at them, she had run straight for the demon only to see it disappear before her eyes.
Remembering the sequence of movements it had made against her caused her body to shudder and she didn't have time for that, so she looked for Akiko, pushing the unpleasant thoughts from her mind.
Instead, she saw a flash of metal in Inu Yasha's hand while demons were circling in front of him, but paying him no heed. She watched as his arm swung out, then he rushed around the group, his dagger in line with their ankles attempting to slice their Achilles tendon but not reckoning on the strength of his own species. Some of them fell down, unable to stand up any longer, but that was only a select few that were on the outside. The inner group instantly fell on him, while the ones that made it on the outside dove at Akiko, claws reared back to deal a fatal blow to any number of parts on his body.
Kaori ran toward them to help in any way possible. Akiko yelled at her to watch out as he fended off a demon that was swinging its claws wildly at him. InuYasha was holding off two of them while he rolled around on the ground between the demon's feet and around their legs. She couldn't understand what he was telling her to watch out for; they were the ones with enemies on their ass. Turning to glance behind her, she only heard the air rip with the force with which the claws sailed towards her before it all went dark in the midst of the mind-blowing, blinding pain.
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Akiko watched white faced, as Kaori went down under the attack of the wolf youkai. Then he saw that all the villagers that had been fighting in their homes in the village were coming to help them out. There were still a few demons wriggling on the ground in agony and the ones with their ankles slit, were reaching out trying to grasp his legs with the intent to trip him up giving the unhurt ones a golden opportunity to attack. The villagers all gathered together slitting the throats of those writhing on the ground while two took care of the demon he was fighting and a few others got to InuYasha.
Soon as he saw it was all right for him to go, he ran to Kaori. Her shoulder and part of her chest were torn to shreds but her body was still shaking and twitching as she lay. Blood was seeping out of her body at an alarming rate and he felt some of it soak into his pants. Her face was pallid and deathly, even though she was naturally pale, it was worse than usual. Gathering her up carefully, he picked her up and turned to look for Tanrakuteki as he knew that the man would be able to help him some how.
Rushing through the woods, all he could think about was the girl in his arms and the life that was seeping out of her veins into his clothing. The sun had gone down as they had been fighting but it still cast out a small bit of light through the trees. The stars started to show up in the sky right after the moon. He clutched her tighter to his body and ran harder trying to find out where the brown haired man had ran off to. He had already searched through the village only to turn up short.
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Kagome sat up abruptly only to have her world tilt before she made it all the way up. Looking around her from her position on the ground, she saw blood spattered a few meters from her. Sniffing the air, she was most distressed to find that it was Kaori's blood. "Shit!!" She screamed as she tried to get to her feet without falling down. Looking wildly about her at the villagers, she mildly registered that they looked fearfully at her and she couldn't blame them with the blood that was caked under her nails, not to mention the rest of her body, and the deadly look on her face. "Where did they go??" She almost shrieked.
A little boy with stark white hair tugged on the bottom of her shirt. She whirled to look at him startling him to no end. "Ohm... I ah..." Kagome's eyes narrowed waiting on the child to spit out the information. His little brown face scrunched up as he studied her even through her impatience and glaring. "Kaori was hurt really badly. Akiko went to go look for Tanrakuteki who could help her." The little boy looked doubtful about this fact but said nothing more.
"Do you know which way they went and where I could go to find this Tanrakuteki?" Kagome smiled after she had to repeat herself more slowly so the boy could understand her, trying her best not to let her stress show through her face.
"Tanrakuteki held his stuff in that crushed hut over there," the child pointed to a very big pile of rubble. Before she could scream her frustration, the boy spoke again. "But he always came in from that direction." Then he turned and pointed towards the hills.
Kagome spared a glance back at InuYasha where he was sitting with his still unconscious brother. "Take care of him for me till I get back." She said to the little boy before she darted off in the direction the boy pointed and hoped that it was the right way. For some reason, her nose could pick up nothing so she was stuck having to rely on directions.
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Tanrakuteki knew they were coming. He knew the outcome. It would all work out just as he needed. He smiled to himself, as he thought of the genius it had taken for him to figure out a way to get rid of the village and most of its population. Now he was going to have a golden opportunity to get rid of Akiko and Kaori, then he could become village leader and incorporate demons into the village and make it world renowned for its ferocity. He would be ruler of the greatest kingdom ever once he was finished with all of his plans he was implementing now. But unfortunately he knew the outcome... but there was a slim chance... very slim chance that he might be able to change the wheel of fate from turning him and in place turn it instead.
It didn't matter that anyone should try to follow Kaori or Akiko as he had already set out postmen to take care of the interference he knew would have to be taken care of. He heard a loud crash as his door gave way to a lot of muscle. 'Akiko.. Right on time.' He thought as he feigned a convincing facade of horror at looking at Kaori.
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Kagome raced as fast as she could with all the problems she was running into. Fog had started in as the sun gave its last pitiful ray before dropping off to sleep for the night. The moon had disappeared behind thick clouds and it had grown chilly rather fast. Tree roots seemed to have a life of their own and kept tripping her as she went.
Her skin broke out in goose bumps as her feet pounded on the ground. It was very quiet as she ran through the forest and it was starting to creep her out. 'Aren't there supposed to be owls and stuff hooting as I go? Some animals startled from their nightly resting place?' She thought as she kept going. Nothing had stirred. Nothing had made a sound, not animal, human, or demon.
Pounding footsteps started resounding behind her. It was going at about the same pace as she was.
At first she had figured them to be reflected sound of her own feet but had never recalled that happening before. Then she thought of being followed in the forest right under Inu Yasha's nose and being assaulted by those fangs.
Her breathing started to hitch and she forced herself to calm down. 'Besides... if you were to be hit with those things again, it wouldn't really make much of a difference, now would it?' She thought to herself. 'Yeah.. That's right.. It wouldn't would it?' She heard some branches snap and her imagination whirled with ideas about whatever it was that had assailed her coming back to kill her.. 'If they had intended to kill you wouldn't they have done that when you were laying in a pool of your own blood?' Her head reasoned. Pushing the thoughts away, as they were keeping her from getting to her goal, she forged ahead trying her hardest to get to where Akiko and Kaori were although she had no idea if she was even right.
An ominous growl came from behind her just as something flew through the air, whizzing past her ear. Fear struck her in the heart as she ran. She could hear her labored breathing and her heart beat in tune with each other. Suddenly she was tackled from behind. Rolling with the force of the blow, she gripped the assailant around the sides and forced him to take most of the blow from the fall. She was startled out of her wits when she heard him say, "You, baka, what are you thinking, doing that?"
Her eyes opened wide only to be blocked by long, thick white hair. Brushing it out of the way, she was saddened to see that the fog had gotten so thick that she couldn't even see the face before her; only the general outline. Her hands reached and felt the face that was so familiar to her. "InuYasha?" She murmured half question, half answer to her weary weighted mind.
"About damn time you recognized who I am." He said as his head bent to kiss her.
Something tried to surface in her mind. She couldn't remember why it was wrong for this InuYasha to be here with her when she wanted him so badly. She knew there was something else she needed to do as well and tried to think of what it was that seemed so important to her... the entire reason she was out here in the woods... but she could remember nothing.
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Little InuYasha watched, as Kagome darted off into the woods after she had talked to the air obviously seeing something the rest of the village didn't. He looked curiously at the space that she had been looking at apparently seeing something the rest of the villagers had missed as well, as half of them had been giving her odd stares as well.
Giving one last look at his brother, he turned to the man who was trying to organize everyone into groups to help clean up the mess of dead demon bodies and the dead human bodies. He was rotund with a big, thick, black moustache and a loud booming voice, the kind of man that would be heard in the middle of a crowd.
"You wouldn't mind to watch my brother, would you?" He asked as sweetly as he could manage with the worry for Kagome plaguing his mind. The man nodded and InuYasha darted off into the woods for Kagome. At first she had been going along the right trail for Akiko and Kaori, but then she deviated to the left. He couldn't understand why she hadn't let her nose tell her that she was turning way off track
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After what seemed like forever, but in reality was only a few minutes, he saw Kagome on her back entangled in a mass of freakishly huge vines and snuggling against one of them, even though the thorns were cutting her most grievously on her face, not to mention all over her body.
One of the thicker vines was wrapped around her torso and squeezing her very hard to where he was surprised her ribs weren't broken yet. As opposed to the ecstasy that was written all over her face she was letting out whimpers and moans of the most excruciating pain from the thorns.
Using his claws, he slashed through the vines. He would've been startled by their groans of pain if he hadn't been so worried about Kagome. As soon as the vines were all sliced off, he dragged her as far away from them as he could. When she was far enough away her many wounds started to seal up at an alarmingly fast rate. Once they were all gone, he almost had her back to where she had deviated from Akiko and Kaori's path.
"InuYasha... Why are you here?" She asked him groggily as she sat up.
She was surprised when he looked at her like she was fit for the loony bin. "I.. Kagome... Let's go get Kaori and Akiko." He said instead.
Her face instantly changed as she leapt to her feet and went dashing off in the directions he told her to go. 'How is he smelling the way to go? And how can he see in this fog?' She wanted to ask but it would take time away from them if she were to distract him.
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Tanrakuteki bustled about the cabin looking for the rest of the ingredients he needed. Akiko looked at his slit wrist where it was tied together to Kaori's, her only link to life was him and he would be damned before he let her go... Her shoulder was covered with a tight wrap to keep the blood from flowing out of her body as it had been. "Ah here it is." Tanrakuteki came back with a slave slathered all over a green roll. He laid the roll beside Kaori and pulled his brown hair behind his ears before he removed her bandage. Lifting her by her arm till he could slide the salve under her shoulder and wrap it around her to completely cover her wound.
Akiko watched her as her face began to sweat and her breathing grew labored. Lacing his hand with hers, he stroked her face worriedly. Suddenly a great pain shot through his body from where his arm was attached to Kaori's. He groaned as his vision spotted with black. The door slammed open and he heard voices shouting but he couldn't do anything as the floor decided to move up and meet his face.
Kagome slammed into the hut with all her might. The door gave way under the force with which she used. Tanrakuteki smirked as he sat in the corner. He knew why she was there, had known she would come but hadn't figured she would make it this far. But that didn't matter to him in the least; his major mission was done. "You're a tad late you think?" He said calmly as the grin spread but stopped before his eyes. "Even if you kill me.. These two are already cursed for life and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do about it."
InuYasha looked at Akiko as he was screaming with the pain. Kaori didn't look much better but she wasn't screaming at least. Then Akiko slumped forward to be quiet and still. Fearing that Akiko had died he rushed forward to help. Undoing the ties between Kaori and Akiko, he started to take off anything that seemed like Tanrakuteki touched.
Kagome was filled with rage as she watched Akiko go down face first. Rearing back her claws, she moved forward like lightning to kill him but was surprised when she felt something slide easily through her body and out her back. Her claws, however, made contact with his throat, which she proceeded to rip out. As he slumped to the floor bleeding profusely from the wound she had inflicted he drew out a blood stained katana that had ripped through her stomach.
InuYasha saw Kagome move as fast as the wind only to see something glinting with blood spear out her back. He saw the mass of flesh she flung back, then noticed that his throat almost completely missing as he slid off his chair, the smirk ever imprinted on his face in death.
The katana slithered out of Kagome's mid-section as he slid to the floor still grasping it tightly in his dead hands. Kagome turned around to see that InuYasha was taking care not to cut Akiko and Kaori while he unbound them with his claws and removed the paste smeared across Kaori's chest, she smiled at him as she stood beside him. "We didn't make it precisely on time to undo what went wrong.. but.. at least we got rid of the man that would've..." She couldn't finish off her sentence. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward to heave Kaori over her shoulder. She gestured for InuYasha to take Akiko and then follow her.
'My sense of smell came back full force, as the man before me died. His face was forever contorted in the smugness of assumed victory. It's really awful that people like that really existed. InuYasha already took care of Akiko and Kaori for me.. He is really an endearing boy... Now to get them back to the village. If this wound in my stomach would just stop hurting so badly it wouldn't be so hard.' Shouldering Kaori and watching as InuYasha did the same with Akiko she moved out the door. It wasn't too long before they were back to the village after using their demon speed to make it back.
"Where do you want us to put them?" Kagome asked as she went to the village head. The old one had died in the fray with the demons. Looking around Kagome saw that a lot of villagers had died and that the population of the village was cut down by half now. 'That's pretty good considering we were all up against at least twenty or thirty demons all attacking at once.'
In the three huts that had withstood the attack, one of them had two tables laid out with blankets on top of them to put Akiko and Kaori on. Kagome and InuYasha laid them out. Kagome stared at them a moment or two before she moved out the door. The villagers were coming in to look at their village heads when they were able bodied enough to take over for the residing one.
Kagome started digging with her hands in the dirt just outside the village. InuYasha dragged the bodies over toward her and they both laid them in the holes. They piled the dirt on and placed stones over top of their burial place. After their job was complete, InuYasha was surprised to see Kagome sink to her knees and start sobbing. Her shirt was soaked with a mixture of sweat, her blood, and the dirt she had used to bury the dead. He was still surprised that her wounds were healing like they were but he wasn't going to complain if they were helping her out as much as they seemed to be.
Moving over to her, he was confused as to what he should do. Placing his hand awkwardly on her shoulder seemed to do more harm than good as she gripped him around the waist only to sob harder. He heard her blubbering about something she had failed... but she had tried so hard and it wasn't fair. He couldn't make much else out of the mess she had made herself. "Kagome... calm down.. It's not the end of the world... Akiko and Kaori are going to live at least." 'Why do I always have to say the wrong things??' He fretted when her tears started anew.
"I'm really sorry InuYasha.." She murmured as her tears subsided and she had let him go to lie amid the dirt and graves. "I'm just so upset that no matter that I tried really hard to get to them.. I failed anyway." Her breathing hitched but her tears didn't start up again, a fact of which he was highly grateful. She sat up and looked around her. "So many people died InuYasha.. it.. its so terrible.. but.. I really don't feel anything for them because I didn't know them personally.. but I still feel terrible because I was there.. and I couldn't stop them from dying."
"Kagome.. What were you really going to do? Even if you had been able to visit them all.. What could you really have done to stop them all from dying?" He said quietly as he stared at the graves as well. "Besides you are in no state to be thinking so morbidly. After all.. you did manage to save two lives.. and a few others I would imagine.. you had distracted quite a few demons and were handling them rather well before I came along and distracted you.. Isn't that good that you saved some? Instead of the opposite, with having not helped any of the people, at all? Then how much more useless would you feel?"
She didn't want to tell him how much better she felt after he said what he did to her because she felt bad now for crying over something like that. But she didn't feel bad for crying for Akiko and Kaori. If her hunch was right.. they were already blood related and Akiko could heal and Kaori could read minds.. She was so not someone they should've relied on. Sighing she looked at Little InuYasha. "Let's go to sleep.. I have stuff I need to do with you tomorrow." She said quietly.
"Well lets see if there isn't anywhere else to sleep.. Personally the graves would be more of an eye-opener than a good sleeping place." He commented as he took her arm. Kagome gathered him up and walked sedately to the end of the ruined village, which wasn't very far anymore.. Leaping up into the trees, she settled herself up against a thick, high branch and curled InuYasha up in her lap. His body was big enough to be slightly awkward in her arms but not uncomfortable. She wanted to cry again knowing this was her last night with him.. but she didn't want to leave him remembering her acting so terribly.
The morning dawned crisp and clear. Kagome saw that InuYasha still wasn't awake so she carried him with her as she hopped down and went into the hut where they had left Akiko and Kaori. They looked much better.. but they would never be the same happy people they used to be. She kissed Akiko's forehead, then she did the same to Kaori. Laying InuYasha down on the floor, she cut a lock of her hair and left it at the foot of Kaori's table to show them that she hadn't left without saying good-bye.
Picking the hanyou up, she left. Jumping up into the trees, she proceeded back to where she needed to be. Shame, driving her to go faster than she would normally be able to go. Shame at not being able to protect Kaori and Akiko the way she was supposed to, shame at not being able to do more even with her being demon, shame, shame, shame. Grateful that it didn't rain through the entire time she was flying through the air, because she didn't feel like stopping. As long as she kept going, kept moving her thoughts, the disgrace would not catch up to her. She would do anything to not have to stop whether she knew it or no.
She made to pause on a branch and change her direction, when she found she was moving at a speed that surprised her. When she was a quarter of the way back "home", InuYasha woke up and clambered onto her back. With him in a more comfortable position, she was able to move much faster. She reached the village before sundown. Looking at the sky, she judged she had about an hour.
"Kagome.. We're almost back to the cave.." InuYasha marveled. "It took us a few days to get to the other one.. and now we're almost home." He said 'home' breathlessly like he was really looking forward to it.. She felt so bad at having to make sure he never remembered that place until he was ready to.
Walking into the midst of the village that was to be the home of Kikyou and Kaeda in later years.. She called out in a firm voice. "I have a strong need for a priestess."
A woman that looked similar to Kikyou came out of one of the huts that had been completed already. "Yes?" She said. The woman was obviously pregnant. For some reason this made Kagome smile as she looked on the lady.
"InuYasha would you mind to go over there please?" Kagome asked. He looked confusedly at her but nodded and left. When she was certain he was far enough away, she gave her attention back to the lady. "I need something to be done to him so that he will not remember me until a little while after I turn hanyou.. or whatever I am." Her tail swished on cue behind her.
"Well.. What exactly do you want for him? I could give him something to drink.. or I could do an incantation?" The pregnant woman asked.
"I would prefer an incantation.. it would be best I imagine.. and I'd think you'd have more control over everything if that was the way you used." Kagome said quietly as she looked over at him.
"Bring him here.. and take him into the hut I came out of. I'll do it in there and you'll have nothing to worry about." Kagome nodded and went to where she had made InuYasha go.
"Hey.. are we ready to go back yet?" InuYasha queried when she came up to him.
"No not yet.. I have something I want you to do first.." Kagome said. Picking him up she carried him to the hut even though he protested and wanted to be let down. She set him on the floor of the hut. "I will be back." She said to him.. "You just wait for me." She smiled then. And with a silent nod to the lady she knew that the woman understood she had to go.
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InuYasha watched as Kagome's eyes fluttered open. "Where are Akiko and Kaori?" She asked quickly, her eyes searching his.
Tanrakuteki ran haphazardly in the debris looking for the weapons hidden in his now collapsed hut. Kaori slipped and fell, slicing her hand on an old sword. "Found one." She called as she hid her hand from Akiko's sight.
Akiko moved to where she was and grasped the handle, jerking the blade out from under the rubble. The blade on the sword was serrated and slightly rusted towards the handle but it would serve its purpose better than most other swords would. Stashing it in his waistband, he started rummaging around where Kaori had slipped and came across a whip that he handed to her.
Tanrakuteki came over to them, already piled with lots of different weapons. Akiko tried to see through all the mass of metal in different stages of decay, to his body but couldn't make anything out until the man started taking off a few swords and handing them to him.
Turning to Kaori, Tanrakuteki handed her a net and some rope. Then digging in the back of his pants, he handed her a few daggers and a sword of her own. "Go hand these out to the villagers that are still fighting and help them with the demons." He ordered quickly before he disappeared back up the dilapidated stairs and into the sunshine... and danger.
Kaori didn't have to be told twice, as soon as the man was gone, she was up the stairs like a flash, running for the nearest family hut she saw that had scuffle noises coming from it. Sweat poured down her back as the heat seemed to intensify as she ran. Slamming open one of the hut doors, she looked into the gloom only to hear slamming going on upstairs. Strengthening her backbone she rushed up to greet whatever was making the noises.
Akiko watched as Kaori darted up the stairs and disappeared into the light. He had caught sight of InuYasha, Kagome, and another demon at the other end of the village. Running as fast as he could, he threw swords to villagers that he saw along the way while he made a bee-line for where he had seen Kagome and InuYasha. The little demon was howling with rage as one of the other demons were currently ganging up on Kagome, who was currently battered and lying on the ground.
Pushing himself as hard as he could, Akiko rushed in and rammed at least two demons through the back with the swords in both of his hands. Jerking them free, he stabbed another two before any of the others could retaliate for killing off their fellow men. Swinging one of his extra swords free, he chopped the head of another one off just as another caught him from behind with his claws, tearing through his muscles and skin.
Taking his sword, he thrust it backwards into the side of the demon holding him. It howled in pain and rage and jerked the sword out of his grip as it tore away from him. But then Akiko was bombarded with plenty of other demons to take his place and do much more harm.
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InuYasha watched as the man he despised ran towards him with swords glinting like stars in his hands. As they became blood covered they gleamed with an unearthly red glow. Two of the many were in his hands and he proceeded to stab two demons in the back as fast as he could while he ran forward. Huddling against Kagome, he placed his hand over her chest checking for a pulse. He was happy to find that it was still beating and scooted her nearer Sesshomaru before he ran into the fray, determined not to be shown up by the human pansy.
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Akiko felt the little demon brush up against his thigh while the little one pulled loose a dagger from his pants. Slipping back out of the large crowd seemingly unnoticed, InuYasha placed the extra dagger in his pant's leg and made the other one ready to render as much of them, as was possible, helpless.
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Kaori burst out of the house having armed the couple that had been trying to1 fight defenseless in the upstairs of their house, but failing miserably and showing it in the blood they had spilled on the floor and that was pouring from wounds on their bodies. The demon in there had been relatively small but very fast. Chucking the weapons at them, she had run straight for the demon only to see it disappear before her eyes.
Remembering the sequence of movements it had made against her caused her body to shudder and she didn't have time for that, so she looked for Akiko, pushing the unpleasant thoughts from her mind.
Instead, she saw a flash of metal in Inu Yasha's hand while demons were circling in front of him, but paying him no heed. She watched as his arm swung out, then he rushed around the group, his dagger in line with their ankles attempting to slice their Achilles tendon but not reckoning on the strength of his own species. Some of them fell down, unable to stand up any longer, but that was only a select few that were on the outside. The inner group instantly fell on him, while the ones that made it on the outside dove at Akiko, claws reared back to deal a fatal blow to any number of parts on his body.
Kaori ran toward them to help in any way possible. Akiko yelled at her to watch out as he fended off a demon that was swinging its claws wildly at him. InuYasha was holding off two of them while he rolled around on the ground between the demon's feet and around their legs. She couldn't understand what he was telling her to watch out for; they were the ones with enemies on their ass. Turning to glance behind her, she only heard the air rip with the force with which the claws sailed towards her before it all went dark in the midst of the mind-blowing, blinding pain.
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Akiko watched white faced, as Kaori went down under the attack of the wolf youkai. Then he saw that all the villagers that had been fighting in their homes in the village were coming to help them out. There were still a few demons wriggling on the ground in agony and the ones with their ankles slit, were reaching out trying to grasp his legs with the intent to trip him up giving the unhurt ones a golden opportunity to attack. The villagers all gathered together slitting the throats of those writhing on the ground while two took care of the demon he was fighting and a few others got to InuYasha.
Soon as he saw it was all right for him to go, he ran to Kaori. Her shoulder and part of her chest were torn to shreds but her body was still shaking and twitching as she lay. Blood was seeping out of her body at an alarming rate and he felt some of it soak into his pants. Her face was pallid and deathly, even though she was naturally pale, it was worse than usual. Gathering her up carefully, he picked her up and turned to look for Tanrakuteki as he knew that the man would be able to help him some how.
Rushing through the woods, all he could think about was the girl in his arms and the life that was seeping out of her veins into his clothing. The sun had gone down as they had been fighting but it still cast out a small bit of light through the trees. The stars started to show up in the sky right after the moon. He clutched her tighter to his body and ran harder trying to find out where the brown haired man had ran off to. He had already searched through the village only to turn up short.
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Kagome sat up abruptly only to have her world tilt before she made it all the way up. Looking around her from her position on the ground, she saw blood spattered a few meters from her. Sniffing the air, she was most distressed to find that it was Kaori's blood. "Shit!!" She screamed as she tried to get to her feet without falling down. Looking wildly about her at the villagers, she mildly registered that they looked fearfully at her and she couldn't blame them with the blood that was caked under her nails, not to mention the rest of her body, and the deadly look on her face. "Where did they go??" She almost shrieked.
A little boy with stark white hair tugged on the bottom of her shirt. She whirled to look at him startling him to no end. "Ohm... I ah..." Kagome's eyes narrowed waiting on the child to spit out the information. His little brown face scrunched up as he studied her even through her impatience and glaring. "Kaori was hurt really badly. Akiko went to go look for Tanrakuteki who could help her." The little boy looked doubtful about this fact but said nothing more.
"Do you know which way they went and where I could go to find this Tanrakuteki?" Kagome smiled after she had to repeat herself more slowly so the boy could understand her, trying her best not to let her stress show through her face.
"Tanrakuteki held his stuff in that crushed hut over there," the child pointed to a very big pile of rubble. Before she could scream her frustration, the boy spoke again. "But he always came in from that direction." Then he turned and pointed towards the hills.
Kagome spared a glance back at InuYasha where he was sitting with his still unconscious brother. "Take care of him for me till I get back." She said to the little boy before she darted off in the direction the boy pointed and hoped that it was the right way. For some reason, her nose could pick up nothing so she was stuck having to rely on directions.
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Tanrakuteki knew they were coming. He knew the outcome. It would all work out just as he needed. He smiled to himself, as he thought of the genius it had taken for him to figure out a way to get rid of the village and most of its population. Now he was going to have a golden opportunity to get rid of Akiko and Kaori, then he could become village leader and incorporate demons into the village and make it world renowned for its ferocity. He would be ruler of the greatest kingdom ever once he was finished with all of his plans he was implementing now. But unfortunately he knew the outcome... but there was a slim chance... very slim chance that he might be able to change the wheel of fate from turning him and in place turn it instead.
It didn't matter that anyone should try to follow Kaori or Akiko as he had already set out postmen to take care of the interference he knew would have to be taken care of. He heard a loud crash as his door gave way to a lot of muscle. 'Akiko.. Right on time.' He thought as he feigned a convincing facade of horror at looking at Kaori.
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Kagome raced as fast as she could with all the problems she was running into. Fog had started in as the sun gave its last pitiful ray before dropping off to sleep for the night. The moon had disappeared behind thick clouds and it had grown chilly rather fast. Tree roots seemed to have a life of their own and kept tripping her as she went.
Her skin broke out in goose bumps as her feet pounded on the ground. It was very quiet as she ran through the forest and it was starting to creep her out. 'Aren't there supposed to be owls and stuff hooting as I go? Some animals startled from their nightly resting place?' She thought as she kept going. Nothing had stirred. Nothing had made a sound, not animal, human, or demon.
Pounding footsteps started resounding behind her. It was going at about the same pace as she was.
At first she had figured them to be reflected sound of her own feet but had never recalled that happening before. Then she thought of being followed in the forest right under Inu Yasha's nose and being assaulted by those fangs.
Her breathing started to hitch and she forced herself to calm down. 'Besides... if you were to be hit with those things again, it wouldn't really make much of a difference, now would it?' She thought to herself. 'Yeah.. That's right.. It wouldn't would it?' She heard some branches snap and her imagination whirled with ideas about whatever it was that had assailed her coming back to kill her.. 'If they had intended to kill you wouldn't they have done that when you were laying in a pool of your own blood?' Her head reasoned. Pushing the thoughts away, as they were keeping her from getting to her goal, she forged ahead trying her hardest to get to where Akiko and Kaori were although she had no idea if she was even right.
An ominous growl came from behind her just as something flew through the air, whizzing past her ear. Fear struck her in the heart as she ran. She could hear her labored breathing and her heart beat in tune with each other. Suddenly she was tackled from behind. Rolling with the force of the blow, she gripped the assailant around the sides and forced him to take most of the blow from the fall. She was startled out of her wits when she heard him say, "You, baka, what are you thinking, doing that?"
Her eyes opened wide only to be blocked by long, thick white hair. Brushing it out of the way, she was saddened to see that the fog had gotten so thick that she couldn't even see the face before her; only the general outline. Her hands reached and felt the face that was so familiar to her. "InuYasha?" She murmured half question, half answer to her weary weighted mind.
"About damn time you recognized who I am." He said as his head bent to kiss her.
Something tried to surface in her mind. She couldn't remember why it was wrong for this InuYasha to be here with her when she wanted him so badly. She knew there was something else she needed to do as well and tried to think of what it was that seemed so important to her... the entire reason she was out here in the woods... but she could remember nothing.
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Little InuYasha watched, as Kagome darted off into the woods after she had talked to the air obviously seeing something the rest of the village didn't. He looked curiously at the space that she had been looking at apparently seeing something the rest of the villagers had missed as well, as half of them had been giving her odd stares as well.
Giving one last look at his brother, he turned to the man who was trying to organize everyone into groups to help clean up the mess of dead demon bodies and the dead human bodies. He was rotund with a big, thick, black moustache and a loud booming voice, the kind of man that would be heard in the middle of a crowd.
"You wouldn't mind to watch my brother, would you?" He asked as sweetly as he could manage with the worry for Kagome plaguing his mind. The man nodded and InuYasha darted off into the woods for Kagome. At first she had been going along the right trail for Akiko and Kaori, but then she deviated to the left. He couldn't understand why she hadn't let her nose tell her that she was turning way off track
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After what seemed like forever, but in reality was only a few minutes, he saw Kagome on her back entangled in a mass of freakishly huge vines and snuggling against one of them, even though the thorns were cutting her most grievously on her face, not to mention all over her body.
One of the thicker vines was wrapped around her torso and squeezing her very hard to where he was surprised her ribs weren't broken yet. As opposed to the ecstasy that was written all over her face she was letting out whimpers and moans of the most excruciating pain from the thorns.
Using his claws, he slashed through the vines. He would've been startled by their groans of pain if he hadn't been so worried about Kagome. As soon as the vines were all sliced off, he dragged her as far away from them as he could. When she was far enough away her many wounds started to seal up at an alarmingly fast rate. Once they were all gone, he almost had her back to where she had deviated from Akiko and Kaori's path.
"InuYasha... Why are you here?" She asked him groggily as she sat up.
She was surprised when he looked at her like she was fit for the loony bin. "I.. Kagome... Let's go get Kaori and Akiko." He said instead.
Her face instantly changed as she leapt to her feet and went dashing off in the directions he told her to go. 'How is he smelling the way to go? And how can he see in this fog?' She wanted to ask but it would take time away from them if she were to distract him.
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Tanrakuteki bustled about the cabin looking for the rest of the ingredients he needed. Akiko looked at his slit wrist where it was tied together to Kaori's, her only link to life was him and he would be damned before he let her go... Her shoulder was covered with a tight wrap to keep the blood from flowing out of her body as it had been. "Ah here it is." Tanrakuteki came back with a slave slathered all over a green roll. He laid the roll beside Kaori and pulled his brown hair behind his ears before he removed her bandage. Lifting her by her arm till he could slide the salve under her shoulder and wrap it around her to completely cover her wound.
Akiko watched her as her face began to sweat and her breathing grew labored. Lacing his hand with hers, he stroked her face worriedly. Suddenly a great pain shot through his body from where his arm was attached to Kaori's. He groaned as his vision spotted with black. The door slammed open and he heard voices shouting but he couldn't do anything as the floor decided to move up and meet his face.
Kagome slammed into the hut with all her might. The door gave way under the force with which she used. Tanrakuteki smirked as he sat in the corner. He knew why she was there, had known she would come but hadn't figured she would make it this far. But that didn't matter to him in the least; his major mission was done. "You're a tad late you think?" He said calmly as the grin spread but stopped before his eyes. "Even if you kill me.. These two are already cursed for life and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do about it."
InuYasha looked at Akiko as he was screaming with the pain. Kaori didn't look much better but she wasn't screaming at least. Then Akiko slumped forward to be quiet and still. Fearing that Akiko had died he rushed forward to help. Undoing the ties between Kaori and Akiko, he started to take off anything that seemed like Tanrakuteki touched.
Kagome was filled with rage as she watched Akiko go down face first. Rearing back her claws, she moved forward like lightning to kill him but was surprised when she felt something slide easily through her body and out her back. Her claws, however, made contact with his throat, which she proceeded to rip out. As he slumped to the floor bleeding profusely from the wound she had inflicted he drew out a blood stained katana that had ripped through her stomach.
InuYasha saw Kagome move as fast as the wind only to see something glinting with blood spear out her back. He saw the mass of flesh she flung back, then noticed that his throat almost completely missing as he slid off his chair, the smirk ever imprinted on his face in death.
The katana slithered out of Kagome's mid-section as he slid to the floor still grasping it tightly in his dead hands. Kagome turned around to see that InuYasha was taking care not to cut Akiko and Kaori while he unbound them with his claws and removed the paste smeared across Kaori's chest, she smiled at him as she stood beside him. "We didn't make it precisely on time to undo what went wrong.. but.. at least we got rid of the man that would've..." She couldn't finish off her sentence. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward to heave Kaori over her shoulder. She gestured for InuYasha to take Akiko and then follow her.
'My sense of smell came back full force, as the man before me died. His face was forever contorted in the smugness of assumed victory. It's really awful that people like that really existed. InuYasha already took care of Akiko and Kaori for me.. He is really an endearing boy... Now to get them back to the village. If this wound in my stomach would just stop hurting so badly it wouldn't be so hard.' Shouldering Kaori and watching as InuYasha did the same with Akiko she moved out the door. It wasn't too long before they were back to the village after using their demon speed to make it back.
"Where do you want us to put them?" Kagome asked as she went to the village head. The old one had died in the fray with the demons. Looking around Kagome saw that a lot of villagers had died and that the population of the village was cut down by half now. 'That's pretty good considering we were all up against at least twenty or thirty demons all attacking at once.'
In the three huts that had withstood the attack, one of them had two tables laid out with blankets on top of them to put Akiko and Kaori on. Kagome and InuYasha laid them out. Kagome stared at them a moment or two before she moved out the door. The villagers were coming in to look at their village heads when they were able bodied enough to take over for the residing one.
Kagome started digging with her hands in the dirt just outside the village. InuYasha dragged the bodies over toward her and they both laid them in the holes. They piled the dirt on and placed stones over top of their burial place. After their job was complete, InuYasha was surprised to see Kagome sink to her knees and start sobbing. Her shirt was soaked with a mixture of sweat, her blood, and the dirt she had used to bury the dead. He was still surprised that her wounds were healing like they were but he wasn't going to complain if they were helping her out as much as they seemed to be.
Moving over to her, he was confused as to what he should do. Placing his hand awkwardly on her shoulder seemed to do more harm than good as she gripped him around the waist only to sob harder. He heard her blubbering about something she had failed... but she had tried so hard and it wasn't fair. He couldn't make much else out of the mess she had made herself. "Kagome... calm down.. It's not the end of the world... Akiko and Kaori are going to live at least." 'Why do I always have to say the wrong things??' He fretted when her tears started anew.
"I'm really sorry InuYasha.." She murmured as her tears subsided and she had let him go to lie amid the dirt and graves. "I'm just so upset that no matter that I tried really hard to get to them.. I failed anyway." Her breathing hitched but her tears didn't start up again, a fact of which he was highly grateful. She sat up and looked around her. "So many people died InuYasha.. it.. its so terrible.. but.. I really don't feel anything for them because I didn't know them personally.. but I still feel terrible because I was there.. and I couldn't stop them from dying."
"Kagome.. What were you really going to do? Even if you had been able to visit them all.. What could you really have done to stop them all from dying?" He said quietly as he stared at the graves as well. "Besides you are in no state to be thinking so morbidly. After all.. you did manage to save two lives.. and a few others I would imagine.. you had distracted quite a few demons and were handling them rather well before I came along and distracted you.. Isn't that good that you saved some? Instead of the opposite, with having not helped any of the people, at all? Then how much more useless would you feel?"
She didn't want to tell him how much better she felt after he said what he did to her because she felt bad now for crying over something like that. But she didn't feel bad for crying for Akiko and Kaori. If her hunch was right.. they were already blood related and Akiko could heal and Kaori could read minds.. She was so not someone they should've relied on. Sighing she looked at Little InuYasha. "Let's go to sleep.. I have stuff I need to do with you tomorrow." She said quietly.
"Well lets see if there isn't anywhere else to sleep.. Personally the graves would be more of an eye-opener than a good sleeping place." He commented as he took her arm. Kagome gathered him up and walked sedately to the end of the ruined village, which wasn't very far anymore.. Leaping up into the trees, she settled herself up against a thick, high branch and curled InuYasha up in her lap. His body was big enough to be slightly awkward in her arms but not uncomfortable. She wanted to cry again knowing this was her last night with him.. but she didn't want to leave him remembering her acting so terribly.
The morning dawned crisp and clear. Kagome saw that InuYasha still wasn't awake so she carried him with her as she hopped down and went into the hut where they had left Akiko and Kaori. They looked much better.. but they would never be the same happy people they used to be. She kissed Akiko's forehead, then she did the same to Kaori. Laying InuYasha down on the floor, she cut a lock of her hair and left it at the foot of Kaori's table to show them that she hadn't left without saying good-bye.
Picking the hanyou up, she left. Jumping up into the trees, she proceeded back to where she needed to be. Shame, driving her to go faster than she would normally be able to go. Shame at not being able to protect Kaori and Akiko the way she was supposed to, shame at not being able to do more even with her being demon, shame, shame, shame. Grateful that it didn't rain through the entire time she was flying through the air, because she didn't feel like stopping. As long as she kept going, kept moving her thoughts, the disgrace would not catch up to her. She would do anything to not have to stop whether she knew it or no.
She made to pause on a branch and change her direction, when she found she was moving at a speed that surprised her. When she was a quarter of the way back "home", InuYasha woke up and clambered onto her back. With him in a more comfortable position, she was able to move much faster. She reached the village before sundown. Looking at the sky, she judged she had about an hour.
"Kagome.. We're almost back to the cave.." InuYasha marveled. "It took us a few days to get to the other one.. and now we're almost home." He said 'home' breathlessly like he was really looking forward to it.. She felt so bad at having to make sure he never remembered that place until he was ready to.
Walking into the midst of the village that was to be the home of Kikyou and Kaeda in later years.. She called out in a firm voice. "I have a strong need for a priestess."
A woman that looked similar to Kikyou came out of one of the huts that had been completed already. "Yes?" She said. The woman was obviously pregnant. For some reason this made Kagome smile as she looked on the lady.
"InuYasha would you mind to go over there please?" Kagome asked. He looked confusedly at her but nodded and left. When she was certain he was far enough away, she gave her attention back to the lady. "I need something to be done to him so that he will not remember me until a little while after I turn hanyou.. or whatever I am." Her tail swished on cue behind her.
"Well.. What exactly do you want for him? I could give him something to drink.. or I could do an incantation?" The pregnant woman asked.
"I would prefer an incantation.. it would be best I imagine.. and I'd think you'd have more control over everything if that was the way you used." Kagome said quietly as she looked over at him.
"Bring him here.. and take him into the hut I came out of. I'll do it in there and you'll have nothing to worry about." Kagome nodded and went to where she had made InuYasha go.
"Hey.. are we ready to go back yet?" InuYasha queried when she came up to him.
"No not yet.. I have something I want you to do first.." Kagome said. Picking him up she carried him to the hut even though he protested and wanted to be let down. She set him on the floor of the hut. "I will be back." She said to him.. "You just wait for me." She smiled then. And with a silent nod to the lady she knew that the woman understood she had to go.
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InuYasha watched as Kagome's eyes fluttered open. "Where are Akiko and Kaori?" She asked quickly, her eyes searching his.