Chapter 8-One's Choices and Sanity

Inuyasha's fist of a hand came crashing down upon the elderly priestess that was Kaede with every intent to smash the old woman, who had closed her eye out of fear of seeing what she would soon feel, into nothingness. When Inuyasha in his rage induced demonic state heard his name being called to stop the fist he wield had stopped barely less then an inch from Kaede's terror filled eye. She then turned her attention to the figure in front of her who stood there as her shield before the beast and it was then that Kaede remembered the female voice that had spoken making the elderly woman realize that this huge demon of a beast was none other then Inuyasha. 'How can this evil beast be Inuyasha? What has happened since the group last saw me?' thought Kaede as she turned her attention to the savior of her old life.

Shiori couldn't stand seeing her adoptive father be like this and decided to break him free from his rage in the only way she believed she could. She decided to protect Inuyasha's intended target even if it meant she might possibly be killed in the process through the fury of Inuyasha's fist of demonic fury. The fist was less then an inch in front of her and the old priestess who was on the ground next to her. "Please daddy calm down. You are hurt, confused, and full of anger towards them. I can't bear to see you like this Inuyasha. I don't want to see you become something your not. I don't want to see you as the cruel and heartless monster everyone thinks you are. I want the Inuyasha that is my father to come back to me. Will you come back to me daddy?" said Shiori grabbing the shaking fist with her small gentle hands before embracing it in a hug of sorts to let him know she was there.

Inuyasha was struggling within himself as everything inside him called for the blood of his enemies to be spilled and to make them suffer for what they had done. However, the moment he heard Shiori speak to him in stopping his attack he felt his mind wanting to listen to her and when he saw her beside the old priestess within lethal range of his attack he had stopped with all his strength to hit them both. Slowly Inuyasha's sanity started to come back to him as he struggled not to proceed with the death of those in front of him regardless of Shiori being in front of him or not. "Shi...Shiori? By the gods! What have I become? To nearly strike down my own...my own daughter while filled with rage. I am a monster!" said Inuyasha as his fist relaxed and fell to the side making a small crashing sound as it was heavy and his breathing became erratic as he had fear in his eyes for what he had nearly become.

"No! You are not a monster. If you really were a true monster then you would not have tried to stop your attack. I trust you and will never let you fall from the path that makes you who you are...just as you would protect me from all who would hurt me," said Shiori as she went up to his sorrow filled face hugging him with tears coming out of her eyes while Inuyasha return the hug with snuggling his nose against her neck as he ignored the pain while blood still flowed out of his head from where the arrow that was lodged there.

Kaede took a very long moment to process this as she focused her old and tired body up from the ground to stare at the two. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and for her to have seen so much and still be surprised at this was saying something. 'I must cautious to approach this situation carefully to ensure everything stays peaceful in this area. If I appear to make Inuyasha nervous or me look threatening he will most likely go into a rampaging fit and these old bones of mine can't take another as they nearly didn't survive this one,' thought Kaede as she found her bow from within the earth and picked it up using it like a crutch of sorts as she limped over to Inuyasha.

Shiori had her eyes closed during the embrace as she felt something wet on her kimono and at first she thought it was Inuyasha's tear as demon could cry though none of them would admit as she herself had tried to hold back tears on many occasions as it would appear "un demon like" as her grandfather told her while she was a prisoner in the cave lair. It was then however, her when the liquid was near her nose she smelled his blood she broke the embrace and saw it was the arrow that the old priestess had hit him with. "Hold on daddy I'll get the arrow out," said Shiori as she climbed up onto his nose and just barely reached the arrow lodged in his forehead pulling at it before it finally came out with a strong enough tug before she jumped down off of his face.

However, the spiritual arrow had burned her hands in the process making the normally clean and beautiful hands that she had become burn, blistery, and slightly bloody from the arrow itself. Inuyasha saw this and while his own wound healed on his forehead and completely forgetting about the one in his shoulder he licked Shiori's hands easing her pain as she had forced back tears in her eyes from the pain of the arrow. "Thank you Shiori," said Inuyasha in calm and loving voice as he then licked her face and nuzzled against her shoulder with his as she returned it gratefully as the trouble seemed to pass.

A twig snapped in front of them making the two aware of Kaede's presence and that she had her bow in her elderly hands. "Stop it and stay were you are! You leave my daddy alone. He just wanted to show me the village he found happiness in," said Shiori trying to shield Inuyasha in some manner by using her own if need be though its not like she could considering the height difference between the two.

Kaede had stopped walking and raised her hand in defense as she had not meant to either get their attention just yet or cause harm to them now that she knew who they were. "My dearest apologies to both of you as I did not recognize Inuyasha in his current form as I have never seen him like this before. My name is Kaede child and I take from Inuyasha your name is Shiori?" said Kaede in a now worried voice to a now kind voice as she took another careful step forward only to meet a growl from Inuyasha as he showed her some of his pretty large teeth that told her not to take another step.

"Yes. How do you know Inuyasha?" said Shiori as she eyed the old woman skeptically not trusting the old lady in front of her.

Kaede frowned finding it hard to believe that Inuyasha had not told the little half-demon girl who she was since Inuyasha always liked to talk about the people he knew. None the less some harmless talking couldn't hurt to find out such an inner question and there was no better way at the moment then to answer the girls question first. "Ye knows Inuyasha from the days when he and my sister Kikyo had fallen in love 50 years ago when I was a young little girl like yourself. Now I am a priestess like Kikyo was as I took her place after she died," said Kaede leaving out the part where Kikyo had come back to life as one of the undead.

The instant Inuyasha had heard Kaede speak Kikyo's name an image of the woman that was now the undead priestess flashed in his mind. Everything involving the priestess up till recently before his transformation flooded his mind. In doing so it created an intense pain as the flashback of images that flooded his mind were becoming almost too much to bare. "I...I remember you Kaede from both past and present as you helped Kagome put that subjugation rosary on my neck," said Inuyasha as he straightened his body slightly though the anger in his voice and his facial features didn't leave him in the slightest.

Before Kaede could respond and give an apology to him Shiori tuned to her father with a questioning look on her face as to what he was talking about. "Daddy what are you and the old priestess talking about? What is a subjugation rosary thingy?" said Shiori looking back and forth between the two as if it was some untold thing being said as they stared at each other with different looks on each others faces.

Once more Kaede tried to speak, but was cut off before she could even try by a fierce and loud growl telling her to not speak. "A subjugation rosary is a necklace that when put on someone with demon blood whether full or half can be subdued in a harsh manner of hitting the ground with an intense force. The one who has the rosary placed on them stays on the ground for several minutes disabled by the one who speaks the word that activates the subjugation power of the necklace. Only someone with priestess powers like Kaede, Kikyo, and other priestess like them can either remove it or use it against a being that has demon blood running through their veins. Like you or me," said an very angry Inuyasha as he recalled images of a certain girl he dared not speak of continuously using the rosary against him even when he did nothing wrong except caring for her.

"That's awful. How can anyone even want to use such a thing on you daddy? You are a kind person and anyone who doesn't see that is a big fat meanie head!" said Shiori who normally wouldn't be so vocal, but she felt she had to for Inuyasha's sake.

Kaede decided to be bold and speak while she had the chance before Shiori decided to pass judgment on her before she even got to know her. "Inuyasha I am sorry for putting such a thing on you, but it was necessary at the time as you were not the same person you were then as you are...now. Please I wish to make it up to you anyway this old priestess possibly can," said Kaede who got on both knees and bowed before the two of them as a way to ask for mercy from them.

"Very well Kaede. You can start by removing this damn arrow from my shoulder as I am starting to feel the pain its giving off. Then you will tend to my daughters wounds that she received from prying out the second arrow that hit me. This will just be two of many things as you have much to repent for as I received at the hands of THAT girl. Do you understand me?" said Inuyasha as he picked up Shiori with his right hand and a now startled Kaede with his left.

"Yes Inuyasha I understand you completely," said Kaede not wanting to make him mad as Inuyasha walked on his hind legs towards the village totally unaware of the fact a little doll eyed, white haired, mirror holding girl was ever so quietly following them slightly saddened she couldn't make her appearance sooner.

(In the village itself 10 minutes later)

Everyone in the village was shocked to see a massive demon walk into the village with a slightly wounded Kaede in one hand and a half-demon girl in the other. When they had arrived to the house Kaede used for healing people she put the two down before going back to being on all four legs. He had left quite a blood trail from the first arrow that had been lodged in his body during the attack. Shortly after entering the house Kaede came back out to take care of Inuyasha first as she felt it was in her as well as Inuyasha's best interest to take care of the bleeding wound. "Hold still Inuyasha as this will hurt ye when I remove it," said Kaede as she got a good hold of the arrow and starting pulling on it making an increase trickle of blood come out of the wound making Inuyasha growl in pain while Shiori hugged Inuyasha stroking the fur on the side that wasn't covered in now dried blood from the wound where the missed arrow had scratched him.

"Does it hurt badly daddy?" said Shiori as she heard the sickening sound of the arrow being removed from his shoulder.

"Yes it does hurt Shiori, but its not all that bad as there are worse pains in life one can endure during one's travels. Especially when you travel with someone you thought you could trust only to find they don't trust you back and hate you for what you are," said Inuyasha as the sacred arrow was finally removed and shortly after the blood had clotted the small yet still painful wound had started healing itself like the others.

"Now that has been taken care of I will see to Shiori's wounds as I am sure your hands are hurting child," said Kaede sounding more like a caring grandmother then a priestess.

Shiori could only nod as Kaede led her inside while the half-demon bat of a girl looked at Inuyasha with pleading eyes. It was clear that she feared Kaede would put a small rosary on her like she had previously done to Inuyasha and the massive dog demon knew it from what the girls eyes told him. "Do not worry Shiori as long as I'm around Kaede will do no...such...thing. RIGHT?" said Inuyasha as it was more of a statement then a question, but all the same he would need an answer from the old hag whether she wanted to give one or not.

"Correct I will not do anything in that way. Shiori you have my word and honor as a priestess of this village that I will only use my techniques to heal your wounds. Do you trust me now?" said Kaede in a calm and reassuring voice though on the inside she was trembling with fear to such a degree that should she shiver it would be so strong that her bones might break because of it.

Shiori by this point had calmed down and smiled a little smile at Kaede as she nodded and followed the old priestess into the hut. Meanwhile Inuyasha rested beside it resting, but never closing his eyes out of fear of being attacked or someone attempting to attack Shiori or even Kaede for that matter. He eyed his surrounding noticing a few villagers eyeing him carefully as they went about their work no doubt hearing how the small group of villagers that went along with Kaede had been annihilated by him in a single moment of rage with the surrounding area he had been in. 'Fools just like in the village I grew up in that I slaughtered all those years ago. If it was not for Kaede and the ever wonderful memories I have of Kikyo I would tear this place apart in a human adrenaline filled heart beat. As it stands cannot do that to this place. I think I'll have to let it pass as Shiori has slowly started to like it here more and more as she is being treated kindly by someone who doesn't know her and have just recently met. Good. She needs that type of development in her that I never got and the love I never received as a child. She needs to see that there are places where half-demons are accepted and this is the place to do it,' thought Inuyasha as he turned his head towards the sound he heard of tiny silent footsteps approaching him.

"In...Inuyasha?" said the tiny nervous voice of the figure in front of him holding a mirror in her left hand and a large batch of flowers in the other consuming her entire left arm.

"Yes. What do you want?" said Inuyasha looking at the white kimono wearing, white haired and doll eyed little girl in front of him finding the girls appearance to resemble someone he knew from his past though from where he wasn't sure.

"These flowers are for you. Shiori and I were picking them for you before what happened with the old priestess and those villagers assisted in her attacking you. I just thought you would want them as gift from both of us," said the girl carefully putting her mirror down and then handing the tied up flowers over to Inuyasha who took them using two out of his five clawed fingers.

"Thank you. What is your name? I would like to know it," said Inuyasha as the feeling that he knew the girl kept getting stronger with this feeling of uneasiness from her, but he suppressed it knowing he wouldn't do him any good.

"My name is...," said Kanna, but before she could speak any further Shiori came out and smiled at her new friend and hugged her before turning to her father.

"Daddy! I see you met my knew friend. Her name is Kanna. Right?" said Shiori as she missed the look on Kaede's face when the old priestess saw who was their near Shiori when she had come out of the house hearing Kanna's name being mentioned by the half-demon girl.

However, the look on Kaede's face did not go overlooked by Inuyasha as memories of Kanna came back into his mind and none of them were pleasant to remember. The urge to knock Shiori back to kill Kanna was almost impossible to stop as he masked his anger before either could detect it. Meanwhile Kaede merely nodded to Inuyasha while the two girl's backs were to the old lady priestess as she went back into the house for her bow and arrows to attack the one should she try to attack them. "Yes my name is Kanna. Kanna of the Mirror an incarnation and former servant of your enemy known as Naraku," said a calm, but slightly nervous Kanna choosing not trying to deny the fact that she had served Inuyasha's enemy.

Shiori was surprised by this as was Inuyasha, but for a different reasons as Shiori felt that in some way she betrayed Inuyasha while she had been betrayed herself and back away from the girl. Inuyasha was surprised as he clearly heard the term "former servant" and the name of his enemy name Naraku and at the mention of the person's name images of Naraku and what he had done to Inuyasha flooded him mind like they had with Kikyo, but this was worse as the pain was now visible on his face as he clutched his head and roared in anger as he remembered that it was Naraku who created the fake betrayal between him and Kikyo. The very same being who had manipulated so many people to get the sacred jewel for his own purposes. It was so infuriating that Inuyasha got on his hind legs and let out a primal demonic roar that shook the area and the village down to its very foundation causing several houses (that were fortunately unoccupied because they were newly built) to collapse. All the while making his demonic power known in areas far beyond the lands of the village making every single entity with demon blood feel it and tremble at the very feeling of his power. "DAMN YOU NARAKU! WHEN THIS OVER...YOUR HEAD WILL BELONG TO ME!" yelled Inuyasha as his demonic aura covered him the entire outline of his body over 30 feet higher then him on his hind legs.

Kanna and Shiori were no exception to feeling Inuyasha's power as they had carefully backed away out of fear as Kaede came out to kill Kanna. However, when she was about to fire when she stopped to see that the girl was not holding her mirror and was just as terrified as Shiori making Kaede conclude that Kanna did not want this to happen at all and that she wanted it to stop. 'This isn't like Kanna at all! Why isn't she using this to her master's advantage? Ye did recall hearing her say something being his 'former servant'. Could she be speaking the truth? I have to find out...after calming down Inuyasha first,' thought Kaede as she turned to look at Inuyasha whose clawed hands had cut into his skin as he grabbed his silvery white fur covered head as the pain, rage, and sorrow of his life involving Naraku started consuming his mind as his demonic instincts kicked.

"What did you do to daddy?" said Shiori looking at a surprised Kanna who had yet to try and pick up her mirror next to her.

"I didn't do anything, but the memories of Naraku have as Naraku as hurt Inuyasha more ways then one. I had come here to serve Inuyasha instead of Naraku. I wanted to have a noble purpose in my life and the only way I can is to serve Inuyasha faithfully and loyally to protect him from Naraku," said Kanna whose voice was now noticeably panicky which was different from the usual whispery calm voice Kanna had.

"Then prove it Kanna of the Mirror. Use your powers to calm down Inuyasha before his mind is completely consumed with rage," said Kaede as she feared Inuyasha would strike the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.

"I will try to calm him down, but I it may not work," said Kanna as she picked up her mirror and approached Inuyasha carefully right as he opened his blood red eyes with centers that looked like they were wreathed with the fires of hell in them.

"YOU! I'LL KILL YOU AND THEN YOUR MASTER NEXT!" yelled Inuyasha as he brought a massive clawed fist hand down on Kanna who used her mirror's great power to create a barrier save herself from his attack.

It barely held as intense demonic power came out of Inuyasha's claws nearly destroying it as they dug into Kanna's shield while leaving deep scars in the earth all around. They rips that hit the ground behind her tore into the earth and every villager who was in their path killing or wounding people hit by Inuyasha's power. Their agonizing screams of almost instant death and intense suffering told you just how devastating such power was. Kanna tried to increase the power of the barrier with her mirror before Inuyasha could continue his assault on her again with his other hand, but found that her precious mirror had reached its limits. 'Inuyasha is truly power indeed. All the more reason I wish to serve him and make amends for what I did to him,' thought Kanna as she felt the strain of her mirror nearly cracking under pressure.

Another attack would or could possibly destroy the barrier she was generating giving him a chance to destroy in the most horrible way ever seen. The next attack by Inuyasha came as soon as this realization came to her as Inuyasha attacked with an open palm coming down on her defense barrier sending shockwaves through the earth creating more rips in the ground as red demonic energy clashed with Kanna's struggling green. Inuyasha had realized that just swiping at the barrier was useless just after the first assault on the barrier and decided a different approach at destroying the dome shaped barrier by crushing the blasted thing from within itself and with a mere movement of his wrist he would do so when he sent his hand crashing down making it look like he was going to pick up the barrier when in fact he was going to squeeze it till it broke. And break it did as the barrier shattered as Inuyasha's palm that became a fist as the energy dispersed in an extremely powerful explosion. Kanna had in return received the worst it sending her flying away from Inuyasha who was focusing on the next few seconds blocking out the pain from his bleeding hand as the explosion had torn into his flesh as well. Due to the intensity of the explosion Kanna had been burned, cut up, and her mirror crack and broken laying next to her as she was bleeding and most of al crying as Inuyasha approached her his right non bleeding hand ready to strike with his teeth showing and a growl heard even by her now early shot hearing. "Anything to say before I kill you and send you to hell where your master will be shortly?" said Inuyasha as the girl struggled to move giving off a faint whimper as she tried to speak her possibly last words to him.

"I...I'm...I'm sor...sorry. I'm...sor...sorry...fo...for what...I...(coughs blood) did...to...you. Please don't...please don't...(coughs blood) kill...kill me," said Kanna as she stared at him with her currently only good eye that wasn't covered in blood pouring above it pleading with him to spare her.

Inuyasha found himself at a crossroad in the depths of his head as half of him wanted to kill Kanna right at that moment of time. The other half...wanted to show mercy and have Kaede treat the girl to see what would happen next with her. When he stared into her eye he saw remorse, sorrow, pain, and suffering in her that were quite similar to what he had experience before in his youth. He decided to...show mercy. "Kaede! Please come here and take her to the house to have her wounds treated. I shall return later to see Kanna and the progress she has made. As for right now I have to go somewhere to think," said Inuyasha as he picked up the body and turned to Kaede who had walked over carefully to receive the now limp body of Kanna carefully as not to aggravate the little girl's wounds.

"Is this wise Inuyasha? She may try to kill you later," said Kaede as she felt she should do what Inuyasha could or rather would not do, but a growl from Inuyasha and the look on her face squashed that idea.

"Kanna can't kill me Kaede. She never could even if she tried to. Do as I ask of you Kaede as it is your job as a priestess to protect life. From what I see...you hold a dying life in your hands priestess. I want her to continue to be alive Kaede. DON'T fail me in this request or question me again. I am not in good mood and you now being defiant of my wish will only make it worse," said Inuyasha the threat looming over Kaede thick and hard as he turned around on all fours and walked away, but stopped suddenly as he saw Shiori who was now looking at Kanna and then back to him with a smile grateful smile on her face.

"Thank you for sparing her Inuyasha as she had become my friend when I first met in the flower bed when I was picking flowers. She was really nice to me, she helped me pick a few of them for you, and she could have hurt me after we met, but she didn't. I think she was telling the truth to you about before and wanted to stay with you," said Shiori who was grateful to whatever deities heard her silent prayer at the moment she asked them to have Inuyasha show mercy to Kanna.

"Your welcome Shiori. Go help Kaede tend to Kanna's wounds. When she is better tell her I said...that it is I who is sorry. Tell her that if she still wishes to serve me she may and if she doesn't I will understand," said Inuyasha as handed Shiori the broken mirror that was Kanna's to the little half-demon bat girl before he walked away with sadness in his eyes as this form was becoming more and more like a curse then a blessing as was clear from the damage, carnage, and the horrible condition of Kanna who had fallen into an unconscious sleep do to the injuries she had received in the confrontation with him.

Not far away the sacred jewel shard hunters were approaching the village at a fast pace after feeling the flux of demonic power that was clearly Inuyasha's. At that moment they had feared the worst and that Inuyasha had finally cut loose and became a mindless beast whose heart were filled with blind rage. At the same time a pale faced Kagura while on her feather high in the air floated towards the same village as she had felt the power as well and had nearly puked and fainted from the power that was Inuyasha's fury. 'This deal for my freedom better be worth this as I thought it was,' thought Kagura as she used her mastery of the wind to accelerate her rate of travel to the village where she sensed the great power of Inuyasha knowing that Kanna would be their and hoped ironically that Kanna was alive...or else the deal was off due to a technicality and she knew that Naraku loved those if they worked in his favor and they normally did.

(YAY! Another chapter written about Inuyasha going into another psycho induced rage. Well not to set up any spoilers or suspense or anything, but next chapter I'm considering putting Inuyasha through another transformation as I'll have that flea (someone tell me his name) make his appearance to tell Inuyasha how to transform back into his human looking form. But the thing is his human looking form is not the same as it was before. How? Why? Well unless I get some reviews and help with my question in parenthesis up above this sentence I can't write the next chapter. I know it sounds harsh, but you need to trust me on this. I am the writer after all and I haven't steered you wrong. Also in the next chapter everyone gets together and meets, but will the meeting be all warm and fuzzy? Or will it be a blood bath? Makes you wonder. Well I do aim to please! HAHAHA! Okay I'll admit it NOW I'm being mean so I'll shut up now. REVIEW PLEASE!)