Devastation
Ayame ran down the hill to her den.
"Gramps! I can't wait to tell you what I did today!" She called. There was no answer. "Gramps!" Ayame called again. Still there was no answer. Then, she saw the problem. Fire burned everywhere around her den. All of her tribe and elders had been slaughtered. Ayame gasped. Tears swelled in her eyes at the sight. She ran down to the den.
"Gramps! Gramps!" Ayame called, looking around desperately. Ayame then found him on the ground, bleeding terribly. "Gramps!" Ayame said trying not to cry.
"Ayame," he said weakly, "I don't have much time left."
"It'll be ok. Gramps it will," She said as tears fell down her cheeks.
As Inuyasha and the group walked through the canyon, searching for a nearby village to spend the night in, Inuyasha caught the sent of something sweet. It smelt like jasmine, it was Ayame's tears he smelt, but he didn't realize it.
"Marry a strong warrior and rebuild the tribe, Ayame." Said her grandfather. Ayame put her fist to her heart.
"I will," She said vowing to herself. And with that, her grandfather died. Ayame began to sob. Suddenly, she caught a whiff of what seemed to be the most infuriating, vile, disgusting scent she had ever smelt before. She turned to see where it was coming from. There she saw Naraku. He was in a spider form as he crawled in the opposite direction of her.
"YOU!" Ayame yelled at him as she stood up and faced him. Naraku turned and faced her.
"Well if it isn't Ayame?" He said, his expression never changing.
"You killed my tribe! My family! Why are you so reckless!" She yelled as she threw her razor sharp leaves at him. He easily dodged them and grabbed Ayame with his four front limbs, holding onto her arms and legs.
"You think your meager attacks can hurt me?" He said as he restrained her, "Now listen, you can either be absorbed within my body or I can kill you. Which one will it be?"
"I choose neither!" she yelled as she grabbed her sword and cut off his legs. She fell to the ground.
"I'll take that as you want to die." He said as he grabbed her with his newly grown limbs. He flung her against a rock. She fell to the ground and tried to attack him again, but he slammed her into a tree. She fell to the ground again. Ayame stumbled to her feet and ran at him again. He then pounded her into the ground until she had nothing left. A trickle of blood fell from the corner of Ayame's mouth. This was enough to catch Inuyasha's full attention.
The sweet scent grew stronger. Inuyasha now knew whose scent it was.
"Ayame!" he yelled as he leapt off.
"Whoa, where's Inuyasha going?" Sango said as she leapt on Kirara to go follow him.
"I don't know but I think he said 'Ayame' just as he flew away." Kagome replied.
"She might be in danger. Kagome, Miroku, get on!" She said. They did so and flew off on Kirara.
Inuyasha flew over her den. There he saw it covered in flames. He dropped down to go look for Ayame.
"Ayame!" He cried frantically. He ran and leapt around trying to smell her sweet blood through the rest of everyone else's. Finally, Inuyasha picked up her scent. He followed it like a hound. Then suddenly, he saw her lying on the ground.
"Ayame!" He yelled as he ran to her. Kneeling beside her broken body, he picked her up. "Ayame…" He said starting to break down.
"N-Naraku, it was Naraku," She whispered weakly.
"Shhh…don't try to speak." He replied. But even the thought of Naraku was enough to make him go into demonic mode. Inuyasha looked at her. She was a mess. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he looked at her now unconscious body. A tear dripped down his face and fell on her cheek.
Just then, Kirara and the others landed on the ground. Inuyasha stood up, his head down.
"Is she ok?" Sango asked hopping off Kirara in an instant.
"She's hurt bad," He said, his voice seemed to crack. His bangs covered his eyes, but when he lifted his head up, his tears were visible. "I'll take her to the nearest village for treatment. You guys search for survivors."
"Ok." Sango said, seeing the worried look on his face. Inuyasha leapt off with Ayame to go get help.
"Did you see that?" Miroku said, talking about Inuyasha's tears, "He was crying for her,"
Kagome stared blankly ahead. 'I think he likes her,' she thought to herself.
"And that was one of the VERY few times I've seen Inuyasha cry." Sango replied.
"Could it be?" Kagome said, her voice trailing off.
Inuyasha dashed through the forest, trying to track down any scent of a village; after all they were rare since Jakotsu's attacks on the North.
Inuyasha then picked up the faintest scent of a human and followed it. He ran quickly, jumping from tree branch to tree branch, landing as softly as he could for Ayame's comfort. She was in a great deal of pain. After Inuyasha had picked up her scent, she had received an enormous blow from Naraku that left a deep gash beneath her rib cage. It was massively bloody, and with her armor being damaged, it was cutting into her wound even more. The only way to fix it was to remove it from her body, which Inuyasha was not going to do.
He then saw the source of the scent; it was a young village woman whom was carrying a clay pot filled with water back to her village.
"Hey you!" Inuyasha yelled to get her attention. The woman turned to see the dog-eared hanyou. She gasped as he leapt and landed in front of her. She looked around for an escape route, but seeing that there were none, she dropped her pot and fell to the ground, bowing.
"Demon, I beg for your mercy!" She cried, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, I just need you to bring me to your village physician and fast." He said quickly.
"Yes, I shall," She said getting up and bowing to him three times."Enough with the bowing crap! This woman needs help!" He said holding Ayame closer to his body. The woman glanced at the pretty wolf demoness that lie unconscious in his arms.
"This way!" She said starting down the path. Inuyasha followed close behind.
The woman ran into the village, the other villagers staring at her.
"Doctor Kameko! Doctor Kameko!" The woman cried running into her village.
"What is wrong my child?" The physician asked.
"Two travelers in the woods, one of them is in need of treatment!" She said bowing to the doctor.
"Bring forth these travelers." She ordered.
Inuyasha stepped out from behind a tree, nervous of the reactions of the villagers at the site of demons.
"It's the phantom that has been attacking the North!" cried one villager.
"You foolish woman!" A village man yelled grabbing the woman Inuyasha had met by the wrist, "You lead the demon right to us!"
"Let her go," Inuyasha said to the villager in a rough tone, "I am not the phantom, the phantom has been destroyed."
"But by whom?" The villager asked as he released the woman.
"By the one whom lies in my arms," He said to them, "Don't believe me? Huh! Ask her when she wakes up!" He said with full confidence.
"Forgive me for my foolishness!" The man said bowing deeply. All the villagers stepped aside, making an isle to Doctor Kameko's hut. They all bowed as Inuyasha walked by with Ayame in his arms. Doctor Kameko lead Inuyasha into her hut. There was a bed in one corner and many jars filled with spices and herbs that lined the walls on shelves.
"The lady shall rest in the bed," she said. Inuyasha gently placed her upon the mat. He looked at her stressed face. She cringed at the pain in her side and was sweating.
Doctor Kameko examined Ayame. Finding where the wound was, she knew it would be difficult to treat.
"Is this demoness your mate?" She asked Inuyasha. His heart pounded at the question.
"Uh…no," he said, turning around. He knew why she had asked that, to respect her privacy. "I'll be outside, take good care of her, even if she is a demoness."