Inu-Yasha

A Feudal Fairy Tale


Disclaimer: This episode of Inu-Yasha is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1998-2003 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Inu-Yasha is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.


A Change of Heart
Scroll Six:
Naraku's Attack


Kikyo stops in her tracks, sensing that something very evil is amiss. She can't sense its exact location, but she knows that it is coming from somewhere behind her. "Inu-Yasha," the miko calls, getting the attention of the inu hanyou in front of her as well as the tiny nomi youkai on his shoulder, "I sense something evil somewhere behind us."

The hanyou's dog-ears perk up in the direction Kikyo mentioned. He sniffs the air a few times and his eyes narrow as a deep growl comes to his throat.

"What do you smell Lord Inu-Yasha?" Myôga asks, worried if he has to leave his master's shoulder for safer grounds or not.

"Kagura," he hisses, "and Naraku." He flexes his claws in anger. "Their scents are very faint, but they are definitely coming from that direction." The hanyou kneels down. "Climb onto my back Kikyo, we're going to find them" The miko does so and the two of them, minus a certain nomi who runs off in the face of danger, are off in search of Naraku.

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Kagome and the rest of the group scatter from another Fuujin no Mai attack directed towards them by Naraku's 'offspring' Kagura. The female youkai smiles evilly at the group of humans and youkai before her. "Really now," she begins in a bored sounding voice, "I expected a little more from all of you. I suppose that your true strength really does lie in that pathetic half-breed."

That comment only helps to infuriate the group. Sango readies her Hiraikotsu, Miroku begins to pull the rosary beads off of his Kazaana, Koga gets into a fighting stance and Kagome sets an arrow on her bow.

"Ah, finally fighting back now are we?" Kagura says before shouting, "Fuujin no Mai!" and sending out another strong gust of wind.

Everyone dodges the attack again. The taijiya is the first to her feet and shouts, "Hiraikotsu!" as she lunges her great boomerang bone towards the youkai. Kagome pulls back on her bow and releases a glowing spiritual arrow as well.

Kagura sneers at them and raises her large fan to attack the group before her, this time shouting, "Ryuuja no Mai!" and releasing a large tornado at her foes. The hiraikotsu and spiritual arrow are easily picked up in the tornado's torrential winds and tossed aside. The tornado suddenly picks up in speed heading straight for Koga and Miroku who are standing in front of the group to protect them. The ookami, with his great speed, easily dodges but the houshi isn't so lucky. The tornado quickly lifts him off his feet and spins him around for a few seconds before hurling him into nearby trees with a sickening 'thuds.'

"Miroku!" Sango shouts, running to the fallen houshi. She gently lifts his head up, cradling it in her arms. "Are you alright?" she asks while moving some of his dark hair out of his dazed eyes.

Koga looks back for a split second to see if his fallen teammate is all right, but instantly regrets it as Kagura uses the opportunity to hurl another Ryuuja no Mai attack at him. This time it hits him and tosses him into a large tree as well. He slides down the trunk, wincing in pain.

Kagome runs over to the ookami with Shippô in her arms. The kitsune hops onto his chest while the young woman from the future stands in front of him, guarding him from Kagura and Naraku.

"How touching," Naraku chuckles from his spot behind his 'offspring'. "Kagura," he begins, "I grow tired of this foolish battle. This pathetic little group all provided to be much less amusing than I had expected. Destroy them all and gather for me any shards that they may possess and give them to me.

The female youkai fights in the urge to say something nasty to her creator. She has never enjoyed taking orders, especially from Naraku, but only does so in the hopes of obtaining some Shikon Jewel shards herself and using them to gain her freedom from her twisted hanyou lord. "Yes Lord Naraku," she replies on a monotone voice. She raises her fan to let loose with a finishing attack. Kagura is about to swipe it down on the unlucky group when suddenly an arrow comes out of nowhere and tears a large hole into her fan.

Everyone is momentarily stunned at what just happened. Kagome wasn't the one to shoot the arrow. Just then, Naraku's body explodes into dirt and dust, leaving behind his head still in the baboon pelt and a wooden puppet with some dark hair wrapped around it.

"It was another kugutsu!" Shippô shouts in surprise.

Kagura looks at her torn fan in dismay. "My fan!" she cries. "My lovely fan! You all will pay for destroying it!" She creates a large white feather and leaps onto it and flies away.

Kagome helps Koga up. She looks around and mutters, "But who shot those arrows?" Her breath suddenly catches in her throat as she sees Inu-Yasha and Kikyo standing side by side far ahead of them. "Inu...Inu-Yasha."

The rest of the gang gathers around and looks over to the hanyou and miko as well. The two far ahead of the group stand still watching them, neither making a single movement. A breeze passes by, fluttering their hair and clothes and giving them an almost mystical look. Inu-Yasha kneels down and Kikyo climbs onto his back. With one last look to the others, he turns around and leaps off.

"Well," Miroku starts, wincing lightly while moving forward and using his houshi's staff for leverage, "that sure was...odd."

The young kistune jumps up on Kagome's shoulder, still looking over where Inu-Yasha and Kikyo were just standing. "They saved us. Inu-Yasha and Kikyo saved us!" He shrugs his shoulders lightly. "Well...at least Inu-Yasha still wants to protect us...I guess he does," he finishes while scratching the top of his head.

Koga shakes his head slightly. "Well...we didn't need any of their help in the first place. I was just about to get my second wind and take that girl and Naraku out. They just beat me to it," he finishes, sounding very confident in himself.

Everyone besides the ookami roll their eyes while thinking, 'baka!'

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Naraku watches with narrowed eyes as Kagura comes into his castle. "You are back a lot sooner than expected," he begins. "You have no shards on you and my kugutsu was destroyed, what happened?" He holds out his hand and Kagura's heart appears in it, being the one thing that allows him complete control over her.

She winces in sight of her heart in Naraku's evil hands. "Everything was going as planned, but someone shot arrows at my fan destroying it and your kugutsu as well."

"So the girl did it," he finishes, narrowing his eyes in frustration. Kagome is the only human that Naraku truly fears, seeing as her ever- growing miko powers nearly completely destroyed him by purifying his body of venom and noxious vapors. They longer she stays alive, the further of a threat she becomes to his very existence. His thoughts are interrupted by Kagura speaking up.

"But it was not her Lord Naraku. I was watching that girl the entire time and she only shot one arrow at me which I easily deflected with my Ryuuja no Mai attack."

"It was not her," Naraku says more in a statement than a question. He looks to the side, pondering deeply. "If was not the girl who shot the arrows then who could have..." he trails off as a sudden thought occurs to him, "Of course," he hisses, narrowing his red eyes, "Kikyo."

Kagura gets a look of mild confusion on her face. "Kikyo...are you sure that it was that miko? You once told me that she was not too fond of that other girl who is her reincarnation of sorts."

Naraku leans back slightly, now deep in thought. "That is correct, Kikyo is the only other miko that has enough power to destroy one of my kugutsus with a single arrow. You are correct in the knowledge of her distaste of that girl who nearly destroyed me, which brings up the question as to why she would help her and her companions." He stands up and walks over to the nearest window. "If Kikyo now truly stands with them and against me I will have no choice but to put her in her grave once again."

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The aforementioned miko is currently still riding on Inu-Yasha's back while he leaps from treetop to treetop. She takes her white hair band off and leans her head back slightly, allowing the wind to flow through her long raven hair. She is still getting used to how wild and free it feels to ride on the hanyou's back.

Kikyo looks to the side as she hears her Shinidamachuu come near. They begin to gather all around them, gracefully gliding through the air. Inu-Yasha notices them as well but is not surprised by their presence since he knows that now that he travels with Kikyo, they will constantly be around to supply her with fresh souls so she can stay alive in this world. "Kikyo," he begins, getting the miko's attention, "do you need any souls right now? Would you like me to stop for a while?"

The former guardian of the Shikon Jewel is slightly surprised by Inu-Yasha's soft and endearing question. Already it seems that he has warmed up to her like he did so many years ago when the body she was in was real. She nods quietly to him and he nods back before landing on the soft earth and stopping. Kikyo gets off of his back and takes a few steps forward to her awaiting Shinidamachuu with a fresh batch of souls for her.

As the souls of the young maidens enter the miko's body of dirt and bone, her mind wanders back fifty years ago when her life had begun to feel at its fullest. 'Alas,' she sadly thinks, 'we can never go back to that time which I so relish.' After she is fully energized, Kikyo turns around and gracefully walks back to Inu-Yasha. She takes his face in her hands and pulls him down slightly into a warm, gentle kiss. The hanyou responds by wrapping his arms around her, deepening the kiss.

Kikyo inwardly sighs in content. 'At least our future has a glimmer of hope in it.' After a few minutes, the two let go of each other, each having a mild blush on their cheeks. "Neither of us have eaten for a while," she starts, deliberately changing the subject both to Inu-Yasha and to herself. "Perhaps we should find something to feast upon and sit d..." Kikyo trails off in surprise as the prayer beads around Inu-Yasha's neck glow for a brief moment before forcing him to slam into the ground, making a small Inu-Yasha sized crater.

The hanyou quickly recovers and sits up while rubbing the back of his neck gingerly. "Damn it! I forgot all about that stupid subduing spell."

The miko rushes to his side, kneeling down beside him. "What has just happened Inu-Yasha? Are you injured?"

Inu-Yasha's mood instantly softens at Kikyo's concern for him. "I'm fine. It's just these beads I've got around my neck. That old h...I mean your sister Kaede put them on me and Kagome can subdue me whenever she says 'sit'," he finishes with a bitter look on his face.

Kikyo places a hand on her chest. "And since she is my reincarnation I can subdue you as well." Without a second thought, she reaches over and easily pulls the beads off of him, much to his shock. He is about to respond, but the miko places a finger over his lips, halting whatever he was about to say. "You need not say anything Inu-Yasha," she calmly replies. "I trust you and have no need for such a spell over you. Besides," she adds while caressing the right side of his face lovingly, "I would never wish any harm upon you."

The hanyou takes her hand in his and gives her a genuine smile. "I feel the same with you Kikyo." He lets go of her hand and stands up. "I'll go find something to eat, just wait here and I'll be back soon," and with that said, he leaps off into the forest to look for some food.

The miko watches him leap away with a small smile. She turns her head to the side and gazes around her to where she is. It is another perfect day with the sun shining, a few small clouds in the distance, birds and other small animals scampering around doing their own things and the gentle breeze that rustles the leaves on the trees and the ripples it creates in the grass all around her.

She looks down beside her and picks up a daisy. Kikyo brings it in close, admiring its simply beauty. "Funny," she thinks aloud, "it took my very own death for me to realize the beauty of everything around me and..." she trails off as Inu-Yasha suddenly appears from the forest, carrying what looks like a pack a villager would carry. The hanyou gives her an apologetic grin, which causes her to giggle slightly, something she has done a lot more of lately. '...and in the people I love,' she finishes to herself while standing up to walk over to Inu-Yasha.

______

Kagome and the rest of the group stand around, all discussing where they should head to next. The young girl from the future seems to be very anxious to leave the valley they are in and head on while everyone else thinks that they should all go to that one village that Myôga mentioned a couple of days ago. None seem to notice the old nomi's absence since he usually disappears for long periods of time.

"I still say that we should at least inspect that village," Miroku says with his eyes closed. "If there is indeed a shard of the Shikon Jewel there then it would most definitely be worth the trip. That and I do enjoy sleeping indoors once in a while instead of out in the woods all the time."

"I have to agree with the houshi on this one Kagome," Sango adds in. "We were going to that village anyway, I don't see why we have to turn around and leave now."

The little kitsune Shippô hops onto her shoulder, his large 'innocent' green eyes shining brilliantly. "Please Kagome?" he begs, melting her heart as he says so. "Lets go to the village, okay?"

"They're all right you know," Koga points out while placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Kagome sighs deeply. She knows that they all are right, but since Inu-Yasha and Kikyo are probably still in the valley as well, she wants to leave, lest she feel any more heartache at seeing the two of them together. "I...I guess you guys are right," she meekly gives in, her head drooping in defeat. "Lets go and check out that village."

The taijiya pushes Koga out of the way and puts her arms around Kagome sympathetically. "I know why you want to leave," she whispers in her ear, "and I understand. Don't worry Kagome, I'll be right here for you."

"Thanks Sango," she gratefully replies. Koga kneels down next to her and she climbs onto his back while Kirara turns into her large fire neko form. Sango and Shippô hop on top of her. The taijiya closes her eyes and crosser her arms, waiting for Miroku to get on her faithful youkai pet as well and make an attempt to grope her. When nothing happens, she opens her eyes in confusion. The houshi is standing alongside Koga, waiting to start moving. With a slightly downcast expression, Sango urges Kirara to begin their journey. Soon the entire group is off towards the only village in this large valley.

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Inu-Yasha and Kikyo are calmly sitting down around a small fire the miko managed to build for the rice in the villager's pack that Inu-Yasha 'found.' The miko gave him an exasperated look when he told her of the villager dropping the pack and running away when he spotted Inu-Yasha looking for food nearby. The villager obviously thought the hanyou to be dangerous and feared for his life.

"Though I am not entirely pleased by the method in which you received this food Inu-Yasha," Kikyo begins, "I am glad that there is enough for the two of us for several servings."

"Yeah," he agrees, checking on the rice, which is almost done. "We did get a little lucky there." His entire body suddenly goes rigid as his dog-ears perk up. "No," he says in a hushed voice. "Not now!"

Kikyo leans in close to him, interested in what he is worried about. "What is it Inu-Yasha? What is going on?"

"His death," comes a deep, yet bored sounding voice to their left, "if he does not give me what I want."

The hanyou's eyes narrow as a full-blooded youkai gracefully emerges from the trees next to him. His long silver hair rustles slightly with each step he takes as his gold eyes carefully watch the hanyou and miko before him. His long fluffy tail is wrapped around his right shoulder and two swords are fastened onto his left side, where he is missing his arm. Inu-Yasha lowers his body into a defensive position and firmly grasps the handle of the Tetsusaiga, hissing out, "Sesshô-maru!"


To be continued...

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Translations (in order of appearance):

Fuujin no Mai: Dance of Blades, this is Kagura's main attack where she sends out strong gusts of wind in the form of blades which can cut through almost anything.
Ryuuja no Mai: Dance of the Dragon, Kagura uses this attack to send out tornados.
Kugutsu: Golem, Naraku uses these puppets of himself instead of going to the actual fight by using a carved wooden doll with a piece of his hair wrapped around it. Naraku can also see what the Golem does.

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Author's notes: I know I haven't updated in quite a while. My most sincere apologies to those who I have kept waiting for so long. My hectic schedule was starting to get the better of me, but now I'm adjusting and able to get back to writing again.

So now Sesshô-maru has entered the picture. That pretty much means that Jaken and Rin will be in as well. Just stay patient a little longer and we will see how this affects everything. -- lighthawkdemon

Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com