There was no explaining to the villagers the strange devices I would have to use to breathe in the morning, so Kagome woke everyone up extra early, had us all eat breakfast, and then we left the town. Inuyasha begrudgingly carried me on his back, my bag slung over his right shoulder, complaining loudly about how annoying this was. "Why couldn't she have just used it in the stupid village? All we have to do is tell them what's wrong!"
"And you think they'd understand that so easily?" Kagome countered as she furiously pedaled her bike. Shippō rested casually in the basket. "Normal medicine is one thing, but a machine!? They'd think it witchcraft! We need to get a safe distance away so she can use it!"
"This is stupid!"
"I'm honestly not sure what to think on this matter," Shippō commented, sighing at their arguing, "Humans being so fragile is something I grew up learning, but this is seriously putting it into perspective. The villagers will freak if they see that noise-maker-thingy, but if Irene doesn't use it she'll keel over. What a pain."
"I won't…" I coughed into my shoulder, dizzy. My head rested against Inuyasha's back, eyes watching the hazy scenery fly by. "Not… immediately… Few days… just dizzy."
"Stop yacking and start breathing, damn it." Inuyasha snapped. After enough running and more arguing between the duo, the half-demon skidded to a stop and sniffed the air. Then he looked at Kagome and Shippō, dropping my bag onto the ground. "This place good? I don't smell any nearby demons…"
"I think we're safe." Shippō said, leaping out of Kagome's bike and making his way over as Inuyasha set me on the ground. I was surprised at how gentle he was being, seeing how angry he was about it. "If you wanna check it out I'll stay behind and protect the girls!"
"Like you could." Inuyasha snorted. Shippō puffed out his cheeks, opening his mouth to argue and protest, only to be cut off. "But yeah, I'll go check it out."
I collapsed to my knees, palms pressed against the cold earth, inhaling deeply and as slow as possible. After a few seconds of catching my breath, I reached out to grab the bag- but Kagome was already there. With Inuyasha now scouting the area for demons, Kagome was getting the machine and nebulizer ready for me to use. "I-I can-"
"Nope! I'm doing this." She told me, a motherly tone in her voice. "I just can't sit here and watch you hurt yourself even more, Irene. It's painful. Now come here."
I was the older one, wasn't I? Sick, yes, but… I could at least be able to get my own medicine ready. I feel so useless. Scooting over so not to go against her orders, I took the mouthpiece and she turned on the machine. Shippō sat with me, head resting tiredly on my lap, and I ran my frail fingers through his hair. Sometime while Kagome was checking out supplies Shippō fell asleep.
Thirty minutes passed and Inuyasha finally returned, purple blood coating his hands. He flicked it off and wiped his fingers on his kimono, cleaning himself. "Just a few small fry right now; we should keep going while it's still day out. I'm sure the smell of weak defenseless humans will catch plenty of attention at night."
Oh… how lovely. I shivered and reached over to turn off the machine, feeling a lot better lung-wise now that I had that brief pick-me-up. "O-Okay… so. Um, when we get to the mansion… how do we know where the demon is? Or the people? Will you just be able to smell them out or something?"
Inuyasha looked at me, hands on his hips. "Well, yeah, actually. It isn't that hard. My nose is a lot more sensitive than you humans' noses."
"Mine, too," Shippō murmured, waking up now that the noise had stopped, "but he's a real bloodhound."
"...What was that, Shippō?"
The fox demon said nothing, crawling onto my lap and burying his face in my stomach. Even though he was a demon and probably hundreds of years old, Shippō truly was just a child- wasn't he? Him clinging onto me like this made me wish I could cling onto Maria; sure there were times in the past where it took several months for us to hang out again, but I was at least able to hug her and not worry about her being in danger. We were safe. She was safe.
And now… I may not be able to feel her warmth ever again.
I picked Shippō up, wrapping my arms around him as his little ones clung to my neck, his face pressing into my shoulder. This little fox demon was always so nice to me; helping me, comforting me. He's like the little brother I never had. "We'll save them, Irene," Shippō said quietly, sensing my fear, "don't worry. We've fought plenty of big bad demons before."
"Yeah." I nodded, trying to make myself believe in his words. "Okay."
"Now, let's go!" Inuyasha ordered, foot tapping impatiently against the ground. "We have jewel shards to collect!"
"Agreed."
Shippō and I separated; going back to our usual travelling spots. I tried not to feel too awkward or guilty as Inuyasha pulled me up onto his back, and proceeded to bury my face in his hair when he started running- the wind hitting us hard, tree branches somehow being expertly avoided by this young teenage half-demon. Inuyasha was really incredible being able to move at such speed and still dodge everything coming at us. How Kagome even managed to keep up was even more impressive.
And I… well, I didn't really do anything to contribute. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to use the Shikigami when we come to an actual battle.
Near midday, several hours later, the forest seemed to have disappeared and was instead replaced with mountains and dead trees. Kagome slowed her bike to a stop and Inuyasha slid to a halt, the movement so abrupt I would have fallen backwards if he wasn't holding onto me.
"Whoa!" Kagome stiffened, face growing pale. "This place is giving me the creeps… is that the temple up ahead?"
Far away, resting on the top of the main hill, was a very old and worn-down building. Inuyasha scrunched his nose up. "Looks like it. And there are lots of demons around here… we better be careful. Let's walk from here."
"Agreed." Shippō said, hiding further into the bicycle basket. "It'll be harder for them to spot us if we aren't moving quickly…"
"Is that how it works?" I asked, finding it rather difficult to breathe here. The air was so thick. It was such a change from the abundance of oxygen from the green forest we were just in. "The air is… awful here."
Kagome looked at me then. "You want to wait outside? I can stay with you while Inuyasha-"
"No!" She looked taken aback by my sudden tone. My grip tightened on Inuyasha's shoulders, anxiety and determination mixing together. "We… We have to save them, okay? A-And we don't… know how strong that spider guy is, so… Let's just do it." My health doesn't matter compared to the lives of several innocent people. "Let's just save them."
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder as best as he could to glance at me, before focusing his attention on the temple up ahead. "Alright. Your death wish. You guys heard the woman- let's go."
The half-demon started to walk, Kagome frowning and reluctantly following after, pushing the cart beside her with Shippō still in it. If there were really any demons in the area they didn't seem to notice us, and as we made our way down the middle path we came across a stranger dressed like the merchants we saw back in Akebi Village. "Ah! Travelers!" He exclaimed, looking greatly relieved. "Be wary! When I went looking for medicinal herbs I got lost, so I stayed at the old temple up ahead… but there were demons! Demons were everywhere! I heard noises from under the floorboards and there were strange things written on the paper that was on the desk! Scary things!"
"Oh… well," Kagome looked nervous, "That's not good. We're heading to the old temple…"
"What? Oh, no… please don't. That's a terrible idea! You'll be killed!"
"Not if we kill the demons first." Inuyasha snapped. The merchant was startled by his words.
"If… If you really can do that… please, be careful. And- I don't know if it's still there- but there was a cat under the staircase. He was so kind to me during my visit; if he hasn't been eaten by the demons… can you please make sure to save it?"
"A cat?" My ears perked up at that and I shifted in place, staring at Inuyasha intently. "We are saving that cat."
"What? Seriously!?" He was clearly disgruntled. "I hate cats."
"You like Buyo." Kagome commented. "You might like this one too. Besides, we can't just let a cute little kitty suffer. We can grab the cat and leave him with Irene when we go to take down the spider demon. Sound good?"
He groaned. "Fine… whatever. I don't care. I just want to kill the stupid demons already. I'm so bored."
"Good luck everyone!"
Approaching the temple was a lot easier than heading into Akebi, especially since there were no suspicious villagers wanting to kill you. There weren't even any demons waiting for us at the doorstep. The stairs creaked as we walked up them and Inuyasha carefully set me down. I grabbed hold of his arm for balance. "This place… eugh." There were so many cobwebs. Save for the demons, this place must have been abandoned for decades. "No wonder… spiders seem to like this place so much…"
"Perfect for a spider demons' dwelling." Kagome stated, hugging herself with a shiver. "So gross. I wish I brought bug spray."
"Frick, yeah!" That would have been amazing. Gods, my chest hurts; what is with this air quality? Was it because it was infested with demons? "Wait… would that have even worked on a demon?"
"Well, it worked on Myoga."
I choked. Kagome looked sheepish.
"Mostly, anyway. He's still alive, after all."
A voice coming from next to my ear nearly had me jumping out of my skin. I hadn't expected Myoga to be on me, nonetheless his voice so close. "It was our first meeting, Irene. I was talking to Lord Inuyasha about some important matters when she suddenly struck me with one of her modern devices."
"That was…" Kagome brought a hand to her chin, thinking. "That was when we first met Inuyasha's older brother, wasn't it?"
Wait, what? My eyes widened and my head turned to look sharply up at the half-demon. "You have a brother!? I thought half-demons were rare?"
"Not rare," Shippō corrected, "just uncommon. And his brother isn't half human; he's a full fledged demon."
"Can we shut up about this topic?" The white-haired teen in question snapped. "I don't want to talk about Sesshōmaru."
Wow, that's… harsh. I flinched away from Inuyasha when he raised his voice, letting go of his arm and backing up. Did he not like his brother? Why; because he was a full demon? What kind of name was that, anyway? I've heard of a lot of Japanese names, but not one quite like that. What did it mean? How was it written? Was his behavior anything like Inuyasha's or were they total opposites? How alike did they look? Was he scary?
"S-Sorry…"
Hopefully he wasn't as scary as this person could be. Kagome walked over and rested a hand on my shoulder, her bike parked by a nearby dead tree. "Don't worry about it," She said quietly, "he just acts like that sometimes. It's not personal, I promise."
Yeah, okay. Gods, it's so dark in here. The floorboards creaked with every step and the wind seemed to whistle through the walls, pushing its way through the little crevices. Growling and rumbling could be heard in the distance, proven to be demons as Kagome readied her bow and Inuyasha pulled out his sword.
I watched in awe as the thin scabbard unleashed a large great sword, mind still questioning how such a transformation was physically possible. Magic? Demon power? It was boggling. Inuyasha charged towards the room where the demons were chatting, slicing down the door and taking the startled demons with it. "Weaklings." Inuyasha grouched. "Didn't even stand a chance."
Wow, uh… okay. Were they really bad demons though? What if they weren't going to attack us?
"We got lucky." Kagome commented, her cute face suddenly seeming a lot more menacing than before. "But with that noise the other demons might take notice and come after us. We have to hurry."
I didn't argue, but I found myself distracted by the writings on the table. There were also a bunch of hairpins and antidotes lying around, which left me with a very bad feeling. Were they left behind from previous travelers that came here? The messages left behind ended up being very ominous... and, if Shippo's translation was anything to go by, sad. Kagome had to pull me away, but as we were leaving the room I caught sight of something glimmering in the corner.
A key. "You guys think… You guys think we'll need this?"
"What is it?" Shippō asked, bounding over. "What does the key go to?"
"Presumably a door." Myoga said from Inuyasha's shoulder. "It might just help lead us to the demon."
"Can't I just break the doors down?" Inuyasha asked, frowning. "It's so much faster."
"We don't want to alert the demons." Kagome scolded. "The key should come with us."
I could barely see Myoga jump from the half-demon's shoulder onto mine, the flea looking rather proud of me. "What an excellent eye you have to catch such a little thing in this darkness! I'm impressed." There wasn't really any need to be. I'm amazed I even saw it myself. If not for the light filtering in through the cracks in the walls it would be pitch black. "Wait- did any of you hear that?"
"Yeah, I heard it." Inuyasha tightened his grip on his sword and stepped forward, ears twitching. "I smell 'em too. Up ahead- several demons waiting for us."
I nearly jumped at the feel of two tiny hands grabbing onto my pantsleg, but quickly relaxed when I saw it was just Shippō. "Oh man… I-I don't like this."
"Shut up and toughen up!" Inuyasha barked, pushing past everyone and making his way to the entrance. "Just follow me; I'll take care of the demons."
"You're not going alone, Inuyasha!" Kagome told him, following from behind. "I'm coming with-!"
She got cut off when a large bat appeared out of nowhere. It headed straight towards her, claws extended. A scream erupted from her lips when it hit- talons raking hard across the flesh of her arm. Inuyasha reacted instantly upon seeing this, forgoing his sword in fear of causing Kagome anymore harm, and instead using his own sharp nails to claw at the creature- forcing it off. I shrieked upon seeing this, stumbling back in horror, and Shippō shouted something about how it wasn't alone; there were more demons right behind.
Several bats, in fact, that were much larger and had several eyes. An entire horde of them.
"Damn it!" I could hear the half-demon curse, voice loud enough to break through the chaos. "Why are there so many!?"
"Get off of me-!" A bright light appeared in the hallway, accompanied by a single arrow that purged any demon that came into contact with it. Kagome, despite the pain she was in, managed to kill three demons at once and inform of us just how many demons there were in the hall with us. "Oh god… where is Sango when we need her?"
So many…. Why are there so many? I can't even count- oh gods. I'm scared. I'm scared.
"W-We're gonna be eaten…" Shippō choked out, now being held tightly in my arms. "I-I don't wanna die!"
Ghosts. Are those actual ghosts? Are they demon ghosts or were they the spirits of those who were eaten by the spider, and they turned into demons as a result of their violent deaths? How does that work? How does any of this work? Why are there so many demons!? A-And why are they all looking at-
"Run for it!" Myoga's exclaimed before leaping off my shoulder, disappearing into the darkness as he fled. "Everyone save yourselves!"
"Get back you here you-!" Shippō started, reaching out to grab him, only to retract instantly when he saw something across from us. I heard it before I saw it; a low, deep growl. Footsteps clawing at the wooden floor, the ground creaking beneath the creature's weight. "I-Irene! Irene, look!"
Scared, cold seeping down into my very bones, I forced myself to whirl around and see what was there. A wolf- one seeming to be halfway decayed with several horns jutting out of its skull. Its glowing red eyes were piercing and I found my legs becoming weak as it stared me down, acidic saliva pooling from its lips and melting the ground it stood on. Teeth sharp and lips stained red, I just knew there was no making it out of this encounter alive.
"Sh-Shippō…" I breathed, suddenly very dizzy and out of air. "I… um. I'm sorry."
"D-Don't say that!" He cried, clinging so tightly to my neck it was strangling me. "I don't wanna die! I just met you!"
No. No, no, no. A scream ripped out of my throat as the wolf charged and I wrapped my arms around the fox demon, bolting to the side as the demon leapt into the air. "No!" Where was I running? Which direction am I heading? I can't see or think anymore. My heart is pounding so fast it feels like they're going to jump out of my chest, and my lungs won't stop burning- feeling as though they were molten lava. Should I throw Shippō in an attempt to get him away from the danger or should I just shield him with myself? What do I do!?
That was when I felt it; hot, sharp pain all across my back that quickly exploded into an agonizing warmth.
Shippō went flying from my hold- towards some humanoid looking demons- and rolled to a stop, horror written all over his face. I crashed hard to the ground, tears burning my eyes, vision blurred and head feeling very faint. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to be able to stay conscious; I couldn't even hear anymore. It was all so eerily quiet.
I was just briefly aware of a weight on my lower back, the wolf walking on me as it prepared to bite into my throat.
Please, please, please…
I can't go out like this.
Maria…
I had to see her. Make sure she was safe.
Shikigami…
Shikigami, please. Please. Don't let me die.
My fingers twitched, blurry vision showing just how close they were to the acidic saliva that had dripped onto the ground. My shoulder was burning. Fire. Red, warm. It flickered to life and in that tiny flame I could just barely make out a shape. A howl reached my ears- familiar and far more kind than that of this wolf's- and with what little strength I had left I used to force myself to roll over, slamming my palm hard into the side of the demon's face.
"'O flame of thy loyal servant," I found myself shouting, despite never having heard these words before, voice almost feeling like it wasn't my own, "lend me your strength!"
The tiny flame erupted into a huge fire, taking the shape of a large dog that seemed to wrap around it. Then, as though it were a snake with the way it coiled around it, grappling it, it tore its large fangs into its throat and ripped the wolf's head clean off its body. The large dog licked its lips and shook his head, turning around and facing me now that its foe was gone. Fire danced off its hide and the barest trace of color could be made out from beneath as it walked, nearing me.
Then it bowed its head to me, eyes closed, and brushed his tongue against my burning shoulder. Licking my wounded shoulder, it took all but three seconds for the Shikigami to disappear from sight. That…
Just what kind of dog was that? I couldn't hecking tell, and yet...
...he was the one who saved me from being killed in the summoning, wasn't he? He's a Shikigami?
Ah, my shoulder doesn't hurt anymore. Where's-
"Shippō!"
He was frantically running around, throwing weird contraptions at the demons that kept missing by a hair's length. "Somebody save me~!" He wailed. "Stay away! I'm not big enough to be a meal yet!"
"Sh-Shippō!" For some reason I felt a little stronger, more refreshed, and I shakily pushed myself up. The fox demon heard me and quickly changed the direction he was running- not that there was much space in the first place- and he leapt into my arms. Just as the demons started to approach several arrows rained down, killing all but one of them. That last one was quickly taken out by Inuyasha, sliced in half by his blade. "Oh thank gods…"
"What a hassle…" The half-demon breathed, hair a mess and his kimono covered his blood. "Where they all just standing guard? And what was that?" He turned his attention to me, expression contorted from confusion. "Was that some Shikigami move that old man taught you?"
"I-I don't-"
"Inuyasha, Shippō, Irene!" Kagome called as he rushed over, holding onto her bleeding arm. "Are you guys alright- oh my god! Your back!"
Huh? Oh, right. I looked down to see that my shirt was totally torn, ripped in the same place where I had been shot before. This time, however, the edges were burned black. What was an awful, grotesque mesh of melted flesh was badly scarred skin. My back was shredded, too, and was still bleeding. The pain that had been forgotten came back in full force and I fell to my knees, bringing my hands up and hugging my shoulders tightly as I trembled. It hurt so bad- I've never felt such intense stinging pain before.
It was even worse than when those villagers attacked me.
"I-I've got-" Kagome's voice was panicked. "-bandages! Where are my- ack! Let go of my stuff!"
Seeing there was still another demon left, a stealthy bat that knew better than to ambush us and was looting our supplies instead, the young female teen readied her bow and let loose an arrow. It hit it directly, though her aim was a little off due to her wounded arm. The demon fell to the ground and dusted away, and the girl ran over to grab her bag. She was panting.
"I've got… ointments and… antidotes…" She gasped, exhausted as she made her way over. "God, that was a long battle. I'm used to fighting, but not such large numbers without Miroku and Sango…"
"...Who?" Those names sounded familiar, but I can't recall they've actually told me anything. Wasn't Miroku some lying monk? There's too much information to try and keep track of and- "Gah! Ow, ow- mmm!" I clamped my mouth shut, silencing any cries I had with groans of pain. "W-Warning… please…"
"Sorry." She apologized. "The faster the bleeding stops the better, so…"
"I don't get it." Shippō said, wiping the remaining tears off of his face, sniffling. "That weird… Shikigami healed your shoulder, right? Why not your back?"
"Maybe he's tired of you already?" Inuyasha suggested, squatting down and looking in Kagome's first-aid kit. He held up a piece of equipment, sniffing it cautiously and pulling his face away with a scowl. "Ick!"
"Don't smell it, you dog!" Kagome scolded, reaching over to smack his hand. "It'll bother your nose!"
"You tell me that now."
"Ow, ow- hey! Can we not argue s-so no more…" Oof. Dizzy. "No more demons… show up? Please…"
Kagome and Inuyasha both went silent at that, though both looked like they wanted to say something. The girl finished cleaning the injuries and ordered Inuyasha to turn around, who reluctantly did so, and she had me lift my shirt up so she could do proper stitches. That didn't hurt nearly as bad, but it still stung. Once everything was in order she wrapped some bandages around my torso, "If Sango was here we could just send her and Inuyasha up ahead… but with such a small group I'm a little anxious to do so."
Kagome sighed, pulling my shirt down.
"We're wasting so much time… but if those wounds didn't get treated who knows what would have happened? I'll try and hurry with mine."
"You humans are so weak." Inuyasha grunted, arms still tucked in his sleeves with him facing away from us. He huffed, turning his nose up in the air. Kagome gave him a small smile, apparently seeing through his act, before rolling her sleeves up and hissing in pain when it brushed the gash. "Jewel shard or not, that demon is gonna go down by my hands. Getting you guys hurt like this… it's unforgivable."
Did… I hear that right? I looked down at Shippō was currently sitting in my lap. "He won't admit it," he told me, "but Inuyasha does care. He just likes to act tough."
The half-demon's ears twitched. Next thing I knew Shippō was yanked out of my lap with his face to the floor, a bump on his head, and Inuyasha backed away as if he had never even moved.
"What did Irene just say about arguing?" Kagome scowled, rolling her sleeves back down now that she was patched up. She slung her bag over her shoulder and readied her bow. "Come on, now. Shippō- you're not hurt are you?"
"Just my head." He whimpered, pulling himself up from the ground. "Inuyasha- you're such a jerk! I hate you!"
"Feeling's mutual, kid."
Shippō's lip trembled and he leapt into Kagome's arms, crying into her chest. It didn't last long since we started walking, and he somehow transferred from her to me. We were a lot more cautious than before, yet walked even faster. All the demons that were defeated earlier must have come from all these empty rooms, and the deeper we went into the temple the worst the air became. Eventually we came across two doors- one that led to the main center of the temple and the other… well, we weren't sure.
Kagome tried to slide it open, but it was locked.
"They key!" Myoga piped up, appearing out of nowhere. Inuyasha glared at him, the flea residing on his shoulder.
"Now you come back."
"Try the key, Irene!"
"Why me?" I grumbled, awkwardly fishing the key out of my pocket and praying it didn't fall out during all the ruckus. It didn't. I fiddled with the old metal tool and hesitantly put it in the door, struggling to turn it. "C-Come on, please, don't… ah!" The door slid open due to how much force I was using. I jumped back, nearly crashing into Inuyasha, who placed a hand on the back of my head to stop me. "Sorry."
"Let's do this." He said, removing his hand and charging forward. "That demon won't know what hit him!"
"We really shouldn't be making so much noise." I muttered, following behind at a much slower pace. Kagome was right behind Inuyasha, despite not running as fast. "We're going to die…"
"N-No." Shippō stuttered. "We won't."
I'm not sure if I can be as confident anymore.
Oh, staircases? The cat! Where's the cat!? We must protect the kitten!
I quickened my pace and followed them downstairs, speed walking until I found Kagome and Inuyasha bickering again. This time it was over whether or not they should leave or take the cat with them. "I got it!" I quickly volunteered, glad to see I have found a use for myself. Shippō leapt out of my arms in order to let me pick up the cat- who I had sniff my hand before it allowed me to hold it. "It's all good! You'll be safe now, won't you? You adorable little baby, you."
Inuyasha made a face of disgust at the voice I used, while Shippō and Myoga were greatly amused. Kagome was behaving the same way I was. "We can't just leave it all alone! It must be so scared!"
"Kitten protection squad, assemble!" I nodded to myself, petting the calico's cat head gently. "It's official; while you guys fight the demon I'll protect the cat!"
"That sounds good." Kagome smiled. "You can't really fight, so it's for the best."
"Right." Inuyasha said. He started to move, "The demon is nearby and we can't risk you getting hurt even worse. Kagome, can you sense anything?"
"I'm not…" She closed her eyes, concentrating. "I'm not feeling anything, no. The demon might not have a jewel shard after all."
Inuyasha clicked his tongue in distaste. "What a waste of time. Alright. I'm going ahead- there's a strong smell and I don't like it. This hall reeks of blood."
"B-Blood?" Shippō stammered, clinging to my jeans. "What kind of blood?"
"Human blood." Inuyasha stopped in the doorway of the next room, fingers tightening around the handle of his great sword. Tetsusaiga? Tessaiga? One of the two; I couldn't remember what he said it was called. "You guys might want to stay back."
"We're not leaving you!" Shippō declared bravely as we went through another hallway, following the half-demon as he led us through the old temple. "It's dangerous to go alone! E-Even if it doesn't have a jewel shard it's attacked a lot of villagers, right? Not to mention how it has all these demons in this creepy temple…"
Kagome stepped forward. "He's right, Inuyasha. We can't let you go alone. It's too risky." She dropped her medicine bag to the ground, careful not to be too loud. Getting an arrow ready, she approached him. "The smell of blood and the thought of the spider's web is making me uneasy…"
"S-Spiders are bad." I forced myself to speak, petting the cat in my arms in an attempt to calm both me and it down. I would have to check its gender later; I disliked calling animals an "it". Their gazes turned to me and I tensed beneath their gazes, trying not to cringe at the aches from my wound. Walking hurt, but I would deal with it. "Th-They're creepy and gross and their web's are all sticky and it… it could be poisonous! It could be a poisonous spider. And the villagers thought I was the demon so i-it could be a shapeshifter? Is that a thing?"
"That's a thing, yeah." Shippō said, even more scared. His green eyes were watery. "You think it might be p-pretending to be a kidnapped villager?"
"We'll find out." Inuyasha boldly declared, "We can't come this far and turn back!"
"I-I'm not saying that…" I tried, shaking as the kitten nuzzled my neck. "I just meant-"
"Tsk." Inuyasha cut me off, scoffing at anything I tried to stay. "Even if it is a shapeshifted I'll be able to sniff 'em out. Just wait here. If you guys come with you'll just get in my way."
"What are you saying!?" Shippō exclaimed, bounding towards him. "Inuyasha~!"
Kagome frowned deeply. "No matter how strong you are it's too dangerous alone! We can help!"
"Oh, be quiet!" He snapped, shrugging her hand off his shoulder when she reached out for him. "He'll gobble you up easy when you're injured like that! It's better to handle a ghost by yourself anyway. I'll deal with the demon quickly and come back. Just stay here." Inuyasha stormed off, heading through the final door. It was the only door in the room, hidden by a strange smoke. "Don't get in my way!"
"Inuyasha!" Shippō cried out, starting to run after him. He stopped when the half-demon disappeared through the darkness. "That idiot! Always making decisions on his own!"
"That's what he said," Kagome sighed, "but he's really just trying to keep us from danger. We're all injured except for Shippō, so can you really blame the guy?"
"...It didn't sound like it." I forced myself to say, trying to speak my thoughts lest fear overtake me. "He's a-always so… so angry."
It's scary. But this world full of violence and bloodshed was even more terrifying. Was Inuyasha really going to be okay? He's strong, definitely, but… it was a spider demon. One that had killed and kidnapped many villagers.
"I know he acts mean," Kagome said, turning to face me, "but he's just proud. He doesn't like to let his true feelings show."
Shippō crossed his arms over his chest, tapping a paw against the ground. "You say that, but it's still hard to believe sometimes…"
"Yeah, it's-" Kagome went silent, inhaling sharply. "That's not…"
"What is it!?" Shippō questioned, worried. "What's wrong!?"
The girl turned her head, eyes focusing on the door obscured by black mist- the very one Inuyasha had gone through. "I'm sensing… a jewel shard. But thats- there wasn't any earlier!? Was it just hidden?" She stepped away from us, moving closer to the darkness. "It really is…"
"Jewel shard? The… The thing you shattered?"
Kagome winced at that and I looked down, guilty. I shouldn't have phrased it that way.
"I-I mean, the thing you're trying to get from… uh… N-Naraku?"
"Yeah."
"And if that demon has the shard…" Shippō looked pale. "Inuyasha is…"
"He's in trouble! Shippō, let's go!"
"Alright!" Shippō took a deep breath, steeling himself for the danger. "Got it!"
"Wh-What should I do?" I looked back-and-forth between. They stated themselves I wasn't fit for combat; we mentioned several times that I would wait. But… where? Outside? Here in this room? What if demons show up? "Inuyasha-"
"Wait here." Kagome ordered. I recoiled, startled by the intensity of her tone.
"O-Okay…" I knew I was going to have to stay put; I knew there wasn't anything I could do. I was weak and defenseless, and when I'm scared I can't really concentrate on getting the Shikigami fire to appear. How am I supposed to defend myself when I can't focus? What use do I have to this group of people who have been nothing but accommodating towards me? "I want to help…"
I don't like this at all.
My eyes watched the dark area where the gang had disappeared, my fingers running nervously through the cat's fur. Was this really the right thing to do? Standing here while they all fought? I didn't want to go anywhere near the danger, but I felt so guilty. I'm… I'm useless. Weak. If I wasn't so sick I could… try something. But if I get targeted there's no way I could run.
I'm just an obstacle in their path of saving people and obtaining the jewel shards.
How pathetic.
"Wh-What is this!?" A fierce shout caught my attention and my head snapped up, heart nearly stopping upon hearing the alarmed voice of Inuyasha. "It's disgusting!"
I instinctively stepped forward, wishing to check on them, only to come to a halt when a scream rang out. Blood curdling and scared, I knew at once who that cry belonged to. Kagome was in danger. I understood she was waltzing into danger with the others, but that was… oh gods. I feel sick. I don't want this.
Make it stop. Please, make it stop.
I can't move. Why can't I move?
The cat twisted itself out of my arms and I was too shaken to stop it. Before long it had run off somewhere and Shippō's cries were echoing in the distance. "I'm stuck! Somebody~! Help!" I can't breathe. My back hurts, my head is pounding, my heart won't stop racing. I felt so cold.
"I…" I have to move. Help them. Be a target. Distract the demon. Decoy. "I-I-!"
My legs finally started to work. I stumbled to the other side of the room, pushing my way through the blinding darkness, feeling for the door and making my way through it.
"Wh-What's happening!? A-Are you guys okay!?"
There was no preparing myself for what I was about to see.
What was once most likely a grand, ornate chamber was nothing more than ancient debris. Walls crumbled to nothing and floor molded so bad you could hardly make out what used to be the grand, beautiful wood. But I cared nothing for that- my attention was locked on the several large spiderwebs sticking to the various corners of the room. With how many there were the demon must have been living here for several long years, and you could make out multiple large cocoons that appeared… human sized.
Stuck in the webbings were my companions; Kagome tied up sideways multiple feet off the ground, Shippō stuck to the molded flooring, and Inuyasha trapped to a crumbling stone wall. And hovering above them, long legs crawling across a particularly threatening web, was…
...a giant spider.
"So, there's still one more of you," The creature hissed, mandabiles clacking, "how wonderful."
It's body was a hideous, toxic purple. Large and bulging, the spider's legs were covered in hair. Horns jutted from the side of its head, long strands of black hair falling into its disturbingly humanoid face. Blood and saliva both dripped from its lips, green eyes cruel and filled with hunger. It's…
My legs started to shake. I felt so numb. I was completely petrified by my fear. "You've escaped me before," It mused, crawling towards Kagome- the girl completely immobile due to the webs, "don't you think you should run? Or did you come to offer your blood to me, foolish human girl?"
Don't panic. This is just… a bad dream. Yes. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippō are fine and-
"L-Leave them alone!" My foot slid forward, voice cracking beneath the pressure, and I tried to appear more courageous than I felt. "Just… Just shut up!"
I'm crying. Frick, the tears won't stop falling. I can't do this. The demon's laughed loudly at my idiocy, finding my weakness terribly amusing. Then he leaned his head back, making a sound akin to clearing his throat, and spitting out something-
"Gah!" I cried out, finding myself being flung back into the wall behind me, arm trapped by the webbing he had sent at me. No, no, no, no! This isn't happening; this can't be happening. I've had nightmares about being eaten by giant spiders before- I don't want it to be reality! "Get off!"
Pulling at my arm was futile. The web was too sticky and strong, and it refused to budge.
"Run, you stupid girl!" Inuyasha screamed at me from his spot against the wall. "He's got shards of the jewel! You'll be killed! Save yourself!"
"Just get out of here!" Kagome pleased, pale-faced as the spider continued his march towards her. "You can still make it!"
If I run… they'll all die and the demon will catch up and kill me after. If I stay I'll die with them. There's no winning regardless. We're doomed. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to run if I can't even break out of this stupid webbing!? They aren't thinking this through either! We're all going to be eaten unless-!
Shikigami! That's right. I can make a little ball of flame if I focus. Deep breaths, don't think about the way the spider is crawling towards Kagome or the way it keeps clicking its mandibles together. Focus on the warmth of the flame a-and how it felt when I broke that rock. Easy. Simple. Please… Shikigami…
Unleash your power, I beg of you. Get rid of this awful web.
I don't know what to do.
This is all I can do.
Please!
Warmth, gentle and soft, began to emit from my hand. A red light shimmered out from my skin like a flame, encasing the web and melting it away. My arm fell to my side and my legs gave out, head throbbing as dizziness took over. I stared in disbelief at the sight, hardly able to understand why that actually worked. "Oh my gods…"
"You broke free!" Shippō exclaimed. "Now run away!"
"What?" I inhaled sharply, looking up to see him staring at me from his spot on the ground. The little fox demon child, buried beneath layers of webbing. "I-I can't… l-leave you…"
I freed myself, so I should be able to free the others. Right?
"You should just give up already." The demon hissed. It turned away from Kagome, attention now focused solely on me as it saw I had broken out. "You can't escape."
It isn't wrong. There would be no way I could outrun it. My lungs were already at their limit in this badly decayed room. I imagine I would be passing out very quickly if things kept going at the rate they were. This mold was not good for me at all. The dampness of the temple and all the dirt… it was painful to inhale.
But I wasn't going to sit and be useless any longer. I'm not going to let anyone die.
For a split second my gaze met Inuyasha's- the golden amber intense as they bore into my own brown eyes. Did he really expect me to just run away? He should know better than anyone that's impossible with my condition. "Get out of here!" The half-demon shouted. I frowned, biting my trembling bottom lip, and forced myself to stand. It was then that I saw it; the stone Inuyasha was being pinned to…
...it was glimmering green, just like the Serpentine Rock I had broken at the pond. Could I break it from so far away? Would it create an explosion of some sort if it did break? There was so much of it I'm hoping it might spread to the webs. What it fails? What if it hurts the others? Inuyasha was close to it, after all. I just want to break the webs and maybe hurt the spider.
Okay. Okay, calm down. Panicking isn't good. Confidence is key, yes?
Shikigami don't like weaklings, but maybe if I ask nicely they might help out? It seems to be that way; every time I used it I've asked politely. Perhaps they like manners?
Yes. Let's do that.
Hands shaking and legs trembling so bad they felt like jello, spots dancing in my vision, I laced my fingers together and swallowed the lump in my throat. I had to do this. It was now or never. Shikigami… I accept you, wholly and completely. This is reality and… there's no escaping that. If I am to be your master or ally, then please do as I ask.
"Praying?" The spider snickered, climbing down from his web to approach me. "How weak. That's it; I'm gonna eat you first. A little foreigner for dinner is bound to be… quite delicious."
Stay away.
Focus.
Don't come near me.
Shikigami, please.
"Idiot, what are you just standing there for!?" Inuyasha screamed. "Run! Run away!"
"You have to get out of here!" Kagome cried.
"Quickly, run away!" Shippō begged. "Maria can't lose you like this!"
The spider demon sent another string of webs at me, hitting me hard across the chest and pinning to the wall again- this time high off the ground. But, to its misfortune, I was still pleading with the Shikigami. Red light was brimming from my fingertips and a circle appeared behind me, red flames flickering to life. It grew brighter and brighter, until suddenly it encased the whole room.
It licked at the webs, racing along each strand and spreading farther along the connected strings. The fire danced along the walls and floor, and when it came into contact with the very people I was trying so desperately to protect it did nothing to harm them. They fell from their cocoons and collapsed, and those other cocoons in the back of the room rolled away in the deep crimson flames that threatened to swallow the whole area. It didn't stop, even as it finally made contact with the walls made from Serpentine Rock.
No, it only got worse.
As soon as the fire flicked against that sparkling green rock the walls began to crumble away, debris flying everywhere. A flash of white and Inuyasha was leaping across the room, unperturbed by the flames surrounding him. They did him no harm even as they brushed the skin of his feet and the cloth of his kimono, and he easily scooped Kagome and Shippō up into his arms. The spider raged and shook the earth, collapsing to the floor, spitting out webs furiously in an attempt to cease the spreading fire.
At this point all strength left me.
My body gave out on me completely and an arm wrapped around my stomach, keeping me from falling, lifting me over a shoulder. As the ceiling gave in and toppled on the spider, all that could be heard was its shrieks of demonic fury. Unlike the others, the spider was not shared the same kindness from the Shikigami spell- instead burning away alongside the flames. Inuyasha carefully led us out of the room, avoiding the debris, and into the safety of the dark basement.
And, for a split second, everything went black.
When I awoke Kagome was hovering over me, hands pressing down on my ribs as though trying to administer CPR. I wheezed and coughed, turning onto my side and gasping for oxygen. Everything hurt. "Oh, thank goodness! I-I was so scared that you… How are you feeling? What you did back there was incredible! Your power of Shikigami is amazing!"
She helped me sit up, watching as I struggled to breathe evenly. Where was everyone? What about the spider demon? "I-Inu...yasha… Sh-Shippō? Wh-Where…?"
"They're fine." Kagome told me, smiling in relief. "You saved us. I don't know how you did it, but that fire didn't hurt at all! It was… really warm and comforting, actually. I could feel you trying to protect us. You wanted to stop the demon, but keep us safe. So it hurt the spider. Your Shikigami is so different from the others I've experienced…"
"Th… That… a good thing?" I wheezed, looking up at her tiredly. She nodded, reaching out and brushing my bangs out of my face. I was sweating badly. "Yay… I did… good thing."
I want to sleep. But if I sleep… will I wake up?
I'm scared to find out.
"Hey." Inuyasha's voice rang out. "She awake?"
"Yeah!" Kagome answered. "Just exhausted. This temple isn't good for her lungs and I think that spell took a lot out of her."
"Hmph. I'll say. She managed to send the entire room above crashing down on that demon." Inuyasha said, although I could hear the grin in voice. "Honestly, for someone so sick you have some pretty strong powers. I guess bringing you along wasn't a waste after all. Sure took out a bit of that demon- but he's gonna wake up pretty soon. He has the power of a jewel shard or two, after all."
"Gah! Inuyasha, Kagome!" Shippō bounded out of the collapsed room, running at the pair. "I think it's moving!"
"Speak of the devil." Inuyasha remarked, only to curse. He unsheathed his sword, transforming it. "Damn. I was hoping we could recover a bit longer!"
"D-Demon?" I winced, turning my head. He looked at me. "Again?"
"Yeah. We have no choice but to fight. ...You with us, Irene?"
Huh? Am I… with them?
As in… he wants me to join the battle?
The ground began to shake as the demon pushed itself out of the debris, "Curse you all!" The demon screeched. "I'm going to drain every last drop of blood! There won't be anything left when I'm through with you! GRAAAH!"
Shakily placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder, I forced myself to stand. "I doubt… I'll be much use, but…" A strange determination bubbled inside of me, fueled by nothing more than my own fear. Nodding at the half-demon, I blinked away my tears, voice cracking as I said, "Y-Yeah. I'm… with you."
"We can do this together." Kagome told me, grabbing her quiver of arrows of the ground. "Let's go."
"Yeah!" Shippō declared, visible shaken yet still acting strong. "I-I'll even use my fox magic!"
"I'll KILL YOU~!" The walls ahead caved in as the demon pushed its way out, infuriated. The burns that ran along its body seemed to be healing, fading away as the flesh closed up. It could regenerate? What on earth-!? Time and again I'm constantly reminded that this time period was unlike the one I was used to. "DIE!"
Reeling its head back, it spat out large strings of webbing. Inuyasha leapt out of the way, grabbing Kagome with incredible speed, while Shippō and I were left to fend for ourselves. By some strange manner of luck I managed to throw myself to the side and avoid it, but Shippō's paw was stuck to the ground- pinned by the sticky webs. "Help! I'm stuck!"
"Sh-Shippō!" Dizzy yet unfaltering, I pushed myself up and started to scramble over to him on all fours- not paying much attention to the demon anymore. "H-Hold on!" I coughed, spots dancing in my vision as my lungs craved for oxygen. I wasn't about to let the little fox child die. "I-I got… I got you!"
I skidded to a stop beside him, the little fox trying to quickly melt the web away with a green fire. It was working- only at a slow pace. Shippō tried so hard, but his fire just wasn't that strong yet. Could I… yeah. Let's try it. I held my hand over the web, recalling the warmth. That… red flame. Burning away all that dared cause harm and leaving those not a threat unscathed.
An arrow, bright and almost blinding, flashed through the air. "There! In the stomach!" The weapon flew past the demon's head, lodging into its back. The spider let out a cry of pain, rearing back onto its hind legs. "The jewel shard is there!"
"Got it!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping high into the air. Following Kagome's instructions, he ran towards the demon's exposed belly. "Take this! WIND SCAR!"
"You want my shard… you'll see it first hand!"
To my surprise the web melted away, the fire in my hands doing no harm to Shippō at all, and I looked up in time to see the strangest thing happen with Inuyasha's sword. Blue winds seemed to swirl around it, as the sword was taking in some kind of energy from the air itself. It shone a brilliant hue as he swung it down, and several large streaks of gold lightning seemed to expand out from the blade. Only destruction ensued, the temple creaking and shaking as more debris flew everywhere, cracks tearing deep into the ground towards the spider demon.
It sensed it was in trouble and leapt out of the way, spitting out several webs as it crawled along the walls. Its green eyes were absolutely venomous as it glared down at us. Charging it towards the half-demon it opened its mandible wide open, the inside of its mouth visible for everyone to see. "
"Inuyasha!" Shippō shouted, running at him and the spider. The demon managed to get close to snag the silver-haired teen, the only thing keeping the boy alive being the sword sheltering him from the demon's jaw. He was sandwiched between those mandibles, the jagged edge of one digging into his back and drawing blood. "Let me help!"
Wait- I want to do something, too! Tired and sick as I am, I hated being useless. Now that I have an idea as to how to use the Shikigami I want to contribute! I can't stand this; they're getting hurt protecting me and… I said I'd fight. I can do this. I don't want Inuyasha or anyone else to die! I won't stand for it!
Stumbling forward, stunned from the sheer depth of chaos Inuyasha's demonic sword had caused, I held my hands out in front of me and prayed to the Shikigami- asking for their help. At that time Shippō had pulled out a spinning top from his vest and threw it at the demon spider, letting it rip from a string attached to it. "Hah! Fox magic spinning top; go!"
"Shikigami, please!" I begged, a bright red light forming beneath my feet in the form of a pentagram, slowly turning blue as it increased in size. "Save us!"
The blue flame enveloped my body and rose high above, taking the form of a large creature. A roar releasing from the Shikigami, now being easily recognizable as an eastern wyvern dragon, it flew through the air and lunged towards Shippō. For a moment I was beyond horrified, scared that I had just caused great harm to my friend when I heard him scream- but the blue light that was the dragon seemed to engulf him and shoot out towards the spinning top. It increased its size by at least three, making it even larger than what it had transformed into, and it landed hard on top of the spider's head.
This allowed Inuyasha to break free of its grasp, the demon losing its grip on him. The half-demon jumped back and landed, grimacing as his kimono grew stained with blood. He readied his sword for an attack.
Shippō's magic toy was spinning so hard it started to create smoke, the blue flames turning red as it spread along the demon's flesh. Drawing back the bowstring, Kagome let loose another arrow and shouted, "Good job you guys! Now- hit the mark!" Filled with spiritual power, it landed hard into the demon's neck. She looked quite pleased and wasted no time in releasing another. "Take that! I'm not about to fall to the likes of you! Inuyasha-!"
"Leave the rest to me!" The half-demon ran through the flames, feet pounding hard against the wall as he sliced through the strands of web, catching up with the thrashing demon quickly as it leapt up onto its web to escape the fiery spinning top. "Bite on this-! HRAAAH!" Jumping high into the air, Inuyasha descended down on the demon with his blade. Tearing into its shoulder and slicing all the way down to its stomach, Inuyasha stretched his claws and dug his hand far into the demon's belly.
Those few seconds passed as my heart beat stilled, breath stopped even as the fire still burned. The spinning top shrunk away and fell to the ground, and as the demon let out a blood curdling screech Inuyasha yanked his hand out. The demon smacked Inuyasha away and what was in his hand flew free. Quickly calculating the trajectory of the glimmering object's fall I lunged, no longer caring about my lungs and how much they currently hurt.
Without any regard to my injuries or health, I lunged and slid painfully on my side, catching the small shard in my right hand. I could hear Kagome screaming in the distance, something about how I shouldn't touch it, but it was too late. The shard was held securely in my palm and the spider demon disintegrated, falling to nothing now that the power keeping it alive was gone.
"Irene~! Irene, are you okay!? Give me the shard, quick!" Kagome cried, dashing over. I winced and sat up, hacking up a storm and wheezing. "It's been tainted- you'll be affected if you… if you…" She slowed to a stop, watching as I wiped the dirt and blood off my chin. "You're not feeling any different?"
"I still… can't breathe," I grimaced, "if that's what you mean."
I held the shard up for her, only to blink when I saw that the darkness coloring it purple was fading away. When Kagome reached out to take it the color disappeared completely- instead being replaced with a brilliant white sheen. "I wonder… is it because of the Shikigami?"
"Hey!" Shippō and Inuyasha hurried over. "Are you guys okay!? Did you see that!? What Irene and I did!? It was crazy!"
"It was something." Inuyasha commented, sheathing his sword. He looked at Kagome, the jewel shard, and then at me. "Did you plan that?"
"I-I, uh," Not really, "I just… wanted to help?"
"Well, you did great. I guess you aren't totally useless."
Wait. Did he just… compliment me? I stared at him dumbfounded, uncertain if I was hearing him correctly. "I… I did?"
Kagome nodded, completely genuine. "Yeah! If it weren't for you combining your attack with Shippō, that thing might have been a lot harder to take down! You should do that more often! Thank you so much for helping us!""
"It was so cool!" Shippō exclaimed, waving his arms about, before suddenly slumping over. "I'm really tired though… that took a lot of energy to do. Phew… I need a nap."
"Agreed, though we should probably search for those villagers first." Kagome suggested. Inuyasha laced his arms behind his head. "They ran away after the spider got buried by Irene's flames…"
"You guys found the villagers?" My eyebrows knitted together, confused. Kagome smiled at me and Shippō grinned. Inuyasha turned away, though the corner of his mouth was tilted upwards. "Wh-Where were they? When was this?"
I was with them the entire time and I don't recall us finding anyone. Inuyasha walked away, heading towards the hallway we came from. "Over here. Those cocoons that were in the room when we found the spider? They were inside them. Your flames freed those humans when you freed us." We followed the half-demon through the hallway to the upstairs, where several villagers were lying in wait. "That's them."
They were all huddled together, cowering close together, adults and children alike. There were maybe seven in total. "I can't… believe… You mean I saved them? I-I saved those people?"
"Yup!" Kagome chirped, looking rather proud of me. "It was after the spider got buried by the ceiling. When you fell unconscious, remember? You stopped breathing, so I did CPR, and… well, here we are! The little girl, Sachi, is with them. The flames you used didn't seem to hurt them at all."
It can't be. My eyes were seeing who was there, but I couldn't believe it. "A-And…And Maria isn't… she wasn't… there?"
"...No, Irene." Kagome lowered head, resting a hand on my shoulder as I choked. "She wasn't."
"But the good news is," Shippō quickly said, speaking up, "they said the spider hadn't eaten any foreigners! So that means Maria is still alive somewhere!"
But that also means we're nowhere close to finding her. This was all for nothing.
No. No, it wasn't. We saved these people. I saved these people. They're alive because I came with Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippō. Working together we… helped free them. They'll be able to see their families again. So why… does it still hurt?
Even though we did such a great thing…
...why do I still feel so empty?
...
It took even longer to get back to the village than it did on our way here, as we had to move at a much slower pace to accommodate the villagers. The children seemed very concerned with why Inuyasha had to carry me around everywhere, and were very worried about our wounds. Most of the time Kagome and Shippō were the one answering any questions, as I wound up falling asleep during most of our journey.
Interestingly enough when we had gotten to the temple it was late, but when we left it was early morning. Apparently we had spent the entire night travelling through the old building and fighting demons. Which meant that by the time we finally made it to Akebi village we were all desperate for food. The adults thanked us repeatedly and took the children away to reunite with their families, and we escorted Sachi back to the hut where her parents lived.
When the mother saw us walk in through the door with her child in front… she dropped everything she was doing. Clay pots and bowls clattered to the ground and she ran forward, embracing the little girl tightly. Tears spilled from her eyes and she questioned Sachi rapidly. Hands on the girl's face, feeling her warmth, then checking her for any cuts or bruises. The girl started to cry herself, wailing about how much she had missed her mommy and daddy and how scary it was being kidnapped by the demon.
She treated us to dinner as thanks and when the husband came home… he was stunned to see us around the firepit, Sachi in her mother's arms. Kagome had treated everyone's injuries, even going back over my stitches to clean the scratches some more, and Inuyasha's hanjuban and red kimono topdiscarded beside him to show off the fresh new bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Shippō had to wake me up when the husband showed up, leaving me greatly disgruntled.
What had me even more grumpy was the fact that the man, Gosuke, took that as his chance to get right up in my face and bow. I was not a morning person. "My daughter told me all that happened! And you-! I am so sorry for what I did back then! I can't apologize enough." I struggled to sit up, staring at him with wide eyes. This was not how I was expecting the day to go. "I hurt you and yet… you still brought her back to me."
He raised his head, eyes misty. I had already forgiven this man for attacking me, but he still felt he had to atone. I mean, I'm glad he regrets it… but he's making me feel awful with all this apologizing. Gosuke shook his head.
"I misjudged greatly- you and your friends."
Friends? Were we all friends? Kagome and Shippō certainly, but Inuyasha as well? He was always yelling at me, insulting me, and… going out of his way to help me. Most of it was per Kaede or Kagome's orders, but he didn't have to carry me as much as he did. He didn't have to protect me. He even complimented me when I used the Shikigami to free them.
I… I want to be friends. With all them. Everyone I meet I want to call an ally.
Violence was horrid and… when I was first told I was in the Feudal Era I didn't know what to think. Being thrust into this bloody world without my sister by my side, suddenly attacked by villagers and demons alike, and learning I had a mysterious power called Shikigami? It was illogical. Transcending time to the past of a totally different country… how on earth does that work?
Yet… even though I'm scared and I still doubt myself greatly, I feel like I can do this.
So long as I have these people I can call friends by my side. People I know who won't leave me for death; who will help me find my sister, even if I'm not the most skilled or talented person. I'm hardly useful, but I had a good grasp of how to use the Shikigami in the fight. Shippō's attack didn't seem to do any real damage to the spider until I added the blue flame to it- which burned the demon as a result.
With them, together, I'm sure we can get through things.
Jewels shard hunting and locating Maria.
"J-Just a little bit." I forced myself to joke, trying very hard to get emotional. "It, uh, it happens, so… like I said; I don't blame you. No need to worry about it."
"But I must!" He argued, sitting up straight with his feet beneath him. I wondered how his ankles didn't hurt; that kneeling position was very common here in Japan. "Without you my daughter would had been left as fodder for that… that beast! I can't just turn a blind eye to what I've done!"
I mean, that's fair… but-
"Here! I have something for you!" He stood, making his way over to the other side of the hut- disappearing into another room. Running out, Gosuke suggested as he held out a small bag towards me, "Perhaps it can help you on your journey? You've suffered great wounds, haven't you? Take it for medicine- to restock on what you used up! Or even food to bring with you! My wife and I don't have much; it's just a modest home, but we'd be honored to let you stay for the night to rest."
"Yes, please!" Yone, the mother of Sachi and wife of Gosuke, said. She walked over from the coal stove, hands pressed together. "Let us accommodate you just this once? I'm sure you must be exhausted from such a heinous ordeal."
"That'd be wonderful," Kagome told them with a tired, grateful smile, "but we really must be going. The food was delicious and I can't thank you enough for that. But we would just imposing if we stayed any longer. The demons that were in the temple are gone now, so you shouldn't have anymore problems with them anymore. Right, Inuyasha?"
The half-demon huffed as he pulled his undershirt back on. Kagome put away her medicine. "Yeah, but only because we nearly got ourselves killed in the process. I don't like facing danger for every stranger we meet with a sad backstory, you know!"
"Yes, of course! I understand." Gosuke nodded at his words. "That's why I put this together in case you returned victorious! It's not much, but we wanted to show you our appreciation for saving our daughter." He looked back at me. "Will you accept it? Please?"
Hesitantly reaching out I took the small bag from him, startled to hear the sound of coins jingling from inside. Opening it, I was alarmed to see that it was indeed change. "M-Money?" Wasn't cash hard to come by these days? "Why give me this? Don't you need it? I-I don't… we can't, um, I mean-"
Hopeless in this kind of situation I looked up at Kagome and Shippō for help. Their expressions told me I was on my own.
"I-It would be rude to just… I can't!"
"I think it would be more rude to not accept." Kagome told me. Oh, so now she gives advice. I see how it is. "We do need the money. What do you think, Inuyasha?"
"I'd say just shut up and take it. More we got the better."
"But…" I didn't want to rob them of their earnings. What if taking this made their life even harder somehow? Slumping my shoulders, I gave in to defeat. "O-Okay… thank you. I'm sorry. Uh, how much is in here, anyway?"
Yone smiled. "One thousand yen."
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