Chapter 15: The Devil
Kagome looked out into the lake, the rain had already stopped. It was dawn and everything was new again. Yet she wondered why somehow, this morning was not as…beautiful as yesterday or the day before that. Why was that? The only difference was that… her eyes widened at the thought and she quietly berated herself. To think that Sesshoumaru would be the very reason why the morning was beautiful to her was…preposterous! He didn't do anything special to make her mornings any more unique than every other morning. So why is it that when she compared her mornings with Sesshoumaru to the mornings without him…it all seemed…
"Kagome…" she was snapped out of her reveries when she was reminded that Inu-yasha was standing right beside her.
"Huh?" she turned to him with a smile. She was a bit surprised to see his face so perplexed, so serious. He looked confused and struggling. She wondered what he was thinking of.
"Do you think…Haruko could really be…you know…"
"Haruko could really be what?"
"Don't make me say it, woman! You know what I'm talking about!" Inu-yasha exploded animatedly, his embarrassment evident on his blushing face. Kagome giggled at the sight of him being so cute.
"I really don't know where you're going with this, Inu. So why don't you just spit it out?"
Inu-yasha crossed his arms and turned around, contemplating with irritation if he really wanted to say it. He didn't want his doubt to rear its ugly head but he couldn't help but question it!
"D-do you think…Haruko could really be your daughter—you know, with…Sesshoumaru…?"
Kagome looked at him with curiosity. Come to think of it, ever since Sesshoumaru came, Inu-yasha never even acknowledged what Haruko told them. He never spoke of it. Does that mean he never gave it thought? Was that proof that he didn't believe it a bit? Was that proof that he believed she would stay loyal to him until the end of time? Would she? Was she?
"Well!" he turned to look at her with an impatient air. Kagome became serious then, thinking of what to tell him. She believed in Haruko. That was the truth. But she found it hard as well, seeing as there was absolutely nothing between Sesshoumaru and her. Haruko was the only bridge between them. They were opposites; too opposite.
UGH! This again! Again, she found her thoughts coming back to him! Why does everything lead her thoughts to him! Why! Sometimes she thinks too much!
Suddenly, there was an ear piercing scream! They turned around, back to the village, and their eyes widened!
Mila stared down at her, the object of his uncontrollable affections. Seeing her there, a silent tear rolling down her closed eyes, it just made him lose every bit of control. It was the only chance he found to witness her true face, for his painting to be complete. So he jumped at the chance and the next thing he knew, he was on top of her, staring down at those blue eyes. What was he doing?
"What do you think you're doing?" she spoke in a strangely foreign tone. Every word spoken was like a dagger of ice. It snapped him out of his thoughts.
He continued to stare down at her then spoke words foreign to him as well. "I think I'm in love with you."
Suddenly, a laugh erupted from her lips. But it was a different laugh, a frighteningly baleful laugh. Something he would never have imagined to come from her. He stared at her wide-eyed and doubting who she really was.
"Love? Love!" she finally said after her fit of laughter. "Ha! Are you serious! HAHAHAHAHA! Love! Do you even know what that word means! Love is just another word for lust! Don't you get it?" seeing the confused and hurt look on Mila's face, Haruko's conscience told her to stop. But she kept on going, finally loosing her temper. "Love's just an illusion! It's just another excuse to achieve your carnal fantasies! Love is something bought! Not felt! Wake up, Mila! Wake up! Stop living in dream land! There is no such thing as love!" she all but spat in his face.
Mila looked at her as if she was a whole new person, someone frightening and…heartless. "Who are you…?" were the words that escaped his lips.
Nothing shone in her eyes but emptiness and that was what frightened him the most. "I'm a princess who's engaged to a prince I don't even know. How's that for love?"
With that he stumbled away from her, getting as far away as he can up until his back hit the wall. Seeing she was finally free of him, she sat up right, adjusting her clothes for the sake of her decency. The next thing Mila knew he was seeing her silhouette by the door, she was leaving. She turned back to him, looking apathetically. "I'm sorry…to have broken you out of your dreams. But as long as you have illusions of me having a heart…" she turned away from him, "…you'll never see the real me. The devil within me." With that she left him to look at where she once was with only her words in her mind.
The devil within me…
Her eyes widened when a large blast blinded her as she was walking away from the hut. When the blinding light subsided her eyes widened in horror.
The village was in flames! There was a large monster with writhing tentacles the size of a giant tree bark in the middle of it all. Everyone was running away. Where was her mother? There she was! Right in front of the monster, she was aiming a threatening arrow at it. There was Inu-yasha, slashing at the endless waves of tentacles. There was Miroku, protecting a wounded Sango on the floor using his staff. There was Kirara, hovering over all of them with Shippou on his back, they were both throwing balls of fire at another enemy. This time it was a woman in red! She was flying on a large feather with a fan as a weapon.
Who were these new enemies before her very eyes? She'd never heard of them before. She couldn't recognize either one of them or any of the techniques they were performing. Who were they?
With one powerful slash at the wind, Kagura managed to strike Shippou and Kirara down. At the sight of Shippou falling, Haruko lost hold of her calm. "SHIPPOU-SAMA!"
At the scream, Inu-yasha became alert and jumped to catch Shippou and Kirara in mid-fall. Shippou looked up at Inu-yasha who looked at him as if he was a comrade who fought valiantly in a war. "Get a hold of yourself, Shippou!" Inu-yasha yelled. That was all he remembered before blacking out and becoming unconscious.
Naraku turned to where he heard the scream and a smirk came upon his lips at the sight of her. He heard there was a pretty sorceress in the village, he only care about the sorceress part, but he didn't know she'd be captivating. And she looked much like the lord of the Western Lands. Perhaps if his first plan didn't work…oh, he could already see the many possibilities of using her. Ransom, perhaps?
With many more thoughts of possibilities running through his mind, he made his way towards her. Kagome quickly registered in her mind that Naraku's eyes were set on her daughter. Fear was evident in her eyes. "NARAKU!" she fired her arrow.
It swished with incredible power and it was just about to hit Naraku when Kagura intercepted, using her fan to make a strong wind that deflected the arrow. Getting impatient, Naraku swung his tentacle at her.
"MAMA!" Haruko.
"Kagome-chan!" Sango.
"Kagome-sama!" Miroku.
"KAGOME, WATCH OUT!" Inu-yasha.
BAG! She hit a tree bark hard and she quickly fell to the hard ground. She clutched her ribs, feeling the pain on them and also at her spine. She tasted blood as it crawled from her lips. Quickly Inu-yasha was at her side.
"Kagome! Kagome!" Inu-yasha shook her shoulders gently, he was frantic. "Kagome, get a hold of yourself!"
They heard Naraku chuckle darkly, looming over them. "That's what you get for being such an intrusive little girl."
Inu-yasha's temper flared and he clutched his tetsusaiga tightly in his grasp. "KAZE NO KIZU!" before he could strike Naraku in mid air Kagura had already gotten in his way. She slashed at him with her own wind and managed to damage Inu-yasha's shoulder. Inu-asha yelled in pain as his shoulder splattered blood as he fell to the floor.
"What's the mater, half-breed? Getting slow?" she mocked.
"Inu-yasha!" Kagome throatily yelled, still feeling the pain in her whole body. If only they were stronger! If only she was stronger, she could—
"Haruko-sama, get out of there!" Miroku yelled at the unmoving hanyou, seeing that Naraku was coming closer.
Haruko was immobile. She was frightened at the sight of this monster, coming near her, his eyes gleaming with unbelievable…darkness. He chuckled; this monster named Naraku chuckled sadistically as he came closer.
"Haruko, get away!" Sango yelled desperately trying to stand and help the girl but her leg continued to bleed and her broken ankle made her give in.
"H-H-Haruko!" Inu-yasha tried to snap the girl out of it as much as he could through gritted teeth. Kagura sent another swift wind at him and hit his left leg. He yelled in pain again as Kagura laughed with satisfaction.
Haruko couldn't believe how much damage these two caused. How much pain and suffering this Naraku brought. Could it be that he was—it was then that it snapped in her mind. Naraku. He was the devil Naraku who almost destroyed Japan. He was that monster.
"Haruko!" Kagome screamed, trying to get up using her bow. Her whole body ached; her legs shook violently beneath her. But she disregarded everything else! She didn't care! It didn't matter! Her daughter—her daughter was in danger!
No! Haruko thought. Her body trembled as he came closer, closer and closer. No! No! Get away! Get away! Father! Father!
Before she could move an inch, Kagura had already glided smoothly from behind her and snatched her from the ground. She couldn't even scream, Kagura's hand was clasped over her mouth. Inu-yasha slashed from behind Naraku with another Kaze no Kizu. It finally hit the monster and slashed it into half. But he was too late! Kagura had already flown too high up to catch up to. The wooden doll fell to the floor in half, leaving a glimmering shard conspicuous on the ground.
Kagome did her best to run, or limp in her case, as fast as she could to somehow catch up to Kagura. "Haruko!" she yelled, reaching out to her. But she saw that there was no hope of getting her daughter back. Before vanishing into the winds, she saw her daughter's eyes. Her lonely, saddened, forgiving eyes. It was like she was saying, it's alright, mama. You did your best.
No, I didn't…
The sun was high above the sky that day just as Sesshoumaru came into the village. His clothes and armor were battered, obviously there was a battle. But his eyes widened considerably as he came to the once sound village and found most of the houses burned to the ground. In the middle of it all was Kagome; her back was turned to him. What had happened?
Inu-yasha was at her far right, bandages wrapped around his shoulder and leg. Sango, with the help of Miroku came closer to Kagome with a worried face. She said something to her, Kagome shook her head softly and Sango sadly looked up at the monk. They helplessly walked away. It was then that Seshoumaru noticed Inu-yasha's crestfallen face as he looked at her.
He came closer and it was only then that Inu-yasha noticed him. He unfolded his arms and stood from leaning against a tree. Kagome noticed his sudden movements and turned to look at what caught Inu-yasha's attention.
Sesshoumaru felt a violent pain in his chest at the sigh of her. Blood had trickled from her lips, seeing as there was blood smeared on her chin. Her hair was disheveled, her legs had scratches all over it but what hurt him the most was the grief in her eyes.
At the sight of him, Kagome felt the many emotions she struggled to suppress the whole time rushing out of her. Anger, sadness, disappointment…fear. But seeing his appearance, it seemed as if he was in his own battle. She couldn't be angry with him. But she wanted to. If only he was there, Haruko wouldn't have been kidnapped! If only he was there! She couldn't hate him for protecting his lands. But she wanted to hate him so badly!
Tears welled up in her eyes and in a flash; she ran into his arms and cried. Sesshoumaru, without a second thought, wrapped his arms around her frail form. "What happened?" he whispered gently. She continued to cry. "Where is Haruko?" she cried even harder. He looked to Inu-yasha as a last resort. Inu-yasha simply looked away. To think that all this time, Kagome hadn't cried. But the moment Sesshoumaru came, she started letting out everything. It made Inu-yasha jealous…envious.
Mila looked at his faceless painting, feeling emptiness within him. What should he do with it now? Now that he had experienced his first heartbreak? Now that she was gone? Now that she no longer made him feel like an equal, but an inferior?
He came closer, touching the faceless beauty. The devil within me… the devil within me…
Shinta rolled to his side just as another servant came to bring him his food. "Shinta-sama—"
"No, thank you. I'm not hungry." He quickly said, shoving his face into his pillow.
"Shinta-sama—"
"Please leave."
Silence answered him, and then he heard the doors close. He closed his eyes with a tired sigh. He felt so low now. And worst of all, he couldn't bring himself to blame her. He was too worried about her. She was kidnapped! He silently prayed to the gods that were kind enough to listen to him. Please, please, save her.
Shippou cried in the hut, no one else was there but Kirara. She tried to comfort him the best she could but Shippou's silent tears would not cease. Shippou's fists were balled on his lap, berating himself for not being stronger. I promise, he thought, if Haruko gets out of this alive, I'll never let any harm come to her ever again! I promise!
Review Responses:
Golden-Eyed-Girl: thanks! That's so sweet of you!
Asako 101: haha! Thanks! That's sweet!
Rakromaryu: cool! Thanks for the constant support! I just wanted you to know that I appreciate every review you gave me! Arigatou!
karen12: hahahaha! Thanks! Hounded, I like that word! Watch out I just might use it in some up coming chapters!
Sesshoumaru's Miko: thanks so much!
lil mutt face grl: thanks for waiting!
sliver inu: arigatou for waiting!
Rose of the F.I.C.: sorry to keep you waiting! Hope you liked it!
i: thanks for waiting!
Sukuri 99: um…is that in a good way? Or a bad way?
Unknown: thanks! So nice of you!
Copper Kitty: haha! Gomen about the confusion! But I'm glad it makes your mind work, I like to encourage people a lot! Hehe!
hipkid727: nah, that's too cliché. Thanks for waiting!
Theblackdemoness: sorry! I'm trying not to! But she's just too involved in everyone. I'll do better, promise!
sessyqueen9205: thanks for waiting!
Bloom Flower: thanks very much!
darkpriestressofhell: yeah, she's a bit troublesome. Thanks!
psycogirl234: thanks for waiting!
Priestess of Nottingham: thanks! I'm glad!
destinyheart15: no worries, it's alright! Somehow you always seem to say the things that make me feel oh so special! Thanks so much!
Kaiyou87: haha! Thanks for waiting though!
1kenshinlover: thanks for waiting! I hope you liked it!