The rest of the day consisted of me attempting to help Kaede out. The field work wore me down very quickly, which meant I instead followed her around to different houses carrying baskets of herbs for her. I also helped wash the dishes at the nearby stream, trying my best to make myself useful with my limited ability.
When she told me she was making dinner I offered to help, so long as she told me what to do, but instead Kaede sent me to go locate Inuyasha. She needed him to chop some wood for the fire. I wandered the village for quite some time, asking around, and found out that he had taken a walk in the forest. Shoulders slumped, I nearly gave in to defeat.
Then I took a deep breath. Shippō and I managed to get through easily earlier today, right? I can do this. Inuyasha is in there somewhere, so… it's fine.
Making my way there, walking aimlessly through the woods, I started shouting for the half-demon. "Hello~? Inuyasha! You here!?" I cupped my hands over my mouth to increase the sound, nearly running out of oxygen. "You… oh frick, I'm dizzy."
I stopped for a moment.
"Where is… How far away am I? Jeez."
Actually, which way did I come from? I feel like I might be walking in circles. The sky was starting to get quite dark, too. I should really head back. If Inuyasha isn't here then perhaps he already returned to the village? I hope so. What to do? Hmm. I turned around, hesitantly making my way towards the direction I think I came from, only to find myself getting more lost.
Darn it. Frick.
"I-Inuyasha?" I stammered, suddenly growing very scared. I looked around, feeling as if I was being watched. Was I imagining things? Perhaps I was. The temple was quite frightening and being on my own wasn't the best idea at the moment. I should have asked Shippō to come with me. "Inuyasha, a-are you there!? Where are you!? K… Kaede wants you to…"
My voice died off, hearing bushes rustling behind me. I froze.
Was it a demon? Maybe it was Inuyasha and I'm just being paranoid. It's fine. This is fine.
"You can't… You can't sneak up on me, you know." I began, voice trembling as I slowly turned around. "I know you're there!"
I focused on that feeling inside me, the warmth that enveloped me every time I used the Shikigami. Someone was there. Whether it was friend or foe I was uncertain. Raising my hands up, red flames danced around my fingertips, and though I was panicking I tried to keep concentrating on the heat from the flames.
There was a flash of color and I whirled around completely, letting out a short and terrified shriek as the flames blasted out of my hands like a ball of fire. An inhuman squeal reached my ears and I forced my eyes open, watching in horror as a goblin-esque demon was sent sprawling back as the balls of fire burnt its flesh. Then, without any warning, a flash of silver appeared and the demon was sliced into pieces, blood spurting everywhere. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"
Inuyasha landed in front of me, watching as the demon fell onto the ground- slowly disintegrating with only its bones remaining. My legs gave out and I landed harshly onto my knees, shaking as I struggled to catch my breath.
"Damn, that was close. Lucky I showed up- hey! What the hell? You okay?"
The half-demon rushed over and knelt down in front of me, concern actually showing on his face for once. I couldn't breathe. "I-I… I attacked… I-"
"Calm down already! Jeez." Inuyasha huffed, clearly not knowing how to handle this situation. "You did good; okay, lady?"
"You…" My eyes drifted over to him, brain finally catching up to the situation. "K-Kaede… wanted to… to see you. Wood chop…" My hands flailed in the air, arms feeling like that of limp noodles. I couldn't think. I brought a hand down into my palm, trying to gesture what I was attempting to say. "Wood chopping… needed you to… Kaede. Words. Um."
"I got it, already. Just shut up."
Right.
Inuyasha proceeded to plop down, waiting with shocking patience for me to calm down and catch my breath. "Better?" Still not speaking, I nodded my head. A hand rested on my chest, waiting for the pace of my beating hard to slow down. "Can you stand?"
A few seconds passed and then I moved. Palms pressed against the ground, my shaky legs managed to get into a standing position. I wobbled and the half-demon reached out as if to catch me, before stopping when he saw I regained my balance. "I-I'm…" I coughed into my sleeve. "I'm fine. S-Sorry. Um. Th-Thank you… for the demon. Uh, killing the demon. I can't…"
I closed my eyes, a pained expression on my face. Inuyasha folded his hands into his sleeves, turning his head away. "It's fine. I'm surprised you even managed to do anything to it- keep it up and you might actually be able to take one down yourself soon."
"Yeah… uh. Oh!" I raised my head up, looking at him. "K-Kaede wanted you to-"
"I know. She told me you were looking for me and I followed your scent here. Good thing, too. Otherwise that puny demon might've gobbled you right up." He walked forward, passing by me and heading in the direction opposite that I went earlier. "Now come on; let's go back to the village. It's getting late."
"O-Okay! Sorry."
"I said stop that! It's annoying!" He scowled, glaring at me. I flinched, mouth opening instinctively to apologize before I caught myself. Inuyasha hmph'd at me. "What a pain. Why do I even bother…?"
I watched as his ears twitched. They really were so strange. Do they feel like normal dog ears? I kinda want to touch them. Is that weird? I feel like that would be weird. Probably. How do half-demons even work? I don't understand their biology at all, or how demons and humans could have even mated in the first place. "Are you really half demon?"
Inuyasha came to a halt, turning his head back and making a face. "Why are you asking me that now, stupid?"
"Uh, because… um…" How do I phrase this? "I don't know. I just… I'm not used to it, I guess. But when I was washing Shippō's hair earlier I saw his ears a-and they were really pointy! And you have the dog ears-" I pointed, not really thinking about, and jumped almost excitedly when I saw them twitch again, "-see! Like that! They're always moving! You don't even have the ears on the sides of your head; it's so strange! I mean, it's not bad, but-"
He narrowed his eyes. "Are you making fun of me?"
I immediately went on the defensive, fearful of angering him. "N-No, no! I swear. I'm just- when I see them it's… like… ugh, how I do I phrase it? I don't…"
Inuyasha's ears moved with each expression he made, truly resembling that of a canine. It was almost adorable, but I found it more amusing than anything.
"Um…"
I want to touch them. I really do. Frick.
"C… Can I-?"
I held my hand out awkwardly before retracting it, unable to bring myself to finish my question. Gods, this is making me freak out. Why am I panicking so bad? I hated social anxiety. Urgh. If you told me so long ago I'd be trying to ask a half-demon if I could touch his dog ears I would have pretended you didn't say anything to me.
Inuyasha let out a groan. "What is with you humans and my ears? It isn't that hard to believe!"
Suddenly he was in front of me and I nearly stumbled back, intimidated. The half-demon leaned down, face inches from mine and irritation written all over it. He was really annoyed.
"Just get it over with! Rather you do it now than attack me in my sleep. Yeesh."
"Y-You sure?" Frick, he's giving me permission. I don't know what to do with this. Okay, calm down. Calm down. He's actually kinda pretty up close. Inuyasha's glare told me to hurry up and I reached up, tentatively touching the back of his dog ear with my fingers. "O-Oh… oh, wow. Okay. That's soft. Haha."
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever done, and I am a very dramatic person. My eyes lit up and I grinned, feeling the fur and rubbing his ears gently. The half-demon seemed to relax the more I did so.
"These are amazing!"
He finally pulled, covering his ears with his hands for a moment before crossing his arms again. "Well, there you have it! My ears are real. You can shut up about it now."
"Yes! Lord Inuyasha is indeed the son of a great and mighty dog demon!" I whirled around trying to locate the voice, before finding the culprit residing on silver-haired teen's shoulder. Inuyasha scowled, glaring at the flea. "Though they share little similarities, Lord Inuyasha has inherited my master's most delicious blood."
"You-!" Inuyasha growled. "You can't just appear like that! Finally showin' up after you up and ditched us at the old temple, you rotten flea! Just bug off!"
I couldn't help it. I snorted when I realized the joke.
Inuyasha turned his gaze to me, snapping, "What's so funny!?"
"Y-You said… bug off. H-He's a flea…" I covered my mouth with my hand, snickering. "Myoga really bugs you, doesn't he?"
"What in the- I don't understand you! And besides, as it turns out I just tend to help humans. I don't really care about them one way or another. The same goes for you!" My laughter died down to a stop and I stared at him, eyes wide. "One way or another I'm gonna become a full-fledged demon."
Myoga leapt from Inuyasha's shoulder to mine, whispering, "The truth is… he's actually indebted to humans."
"Grrrrr~ shut your mouth! I'll squash you, you dumb flea!"
"My, my! Away I go!" Myoga darted away. "You can't kill me if you can't catch me! Farewell for now!"
"YOU COWARD!"
…
The next day went by rather slowly. I helped remove some weeds from the gardens and Kaede taught me about herbs, spending several hours informing me which were poisonous and which could be used as medicines. I followed her around again, not really having anything else to do, and did pretty much the same thing as yesterday. Inuyasha finally had all the wood chopped and Shippō was practicing his transformation skills again, and it eventually got to the point where villagers were starting to be able to recognize me and address me by name.
"Lady Irene," is what they called me- despite my attempts to refuse the title. With my apparent growing Shikigami abilities and the attire Kaede had lent me, they all assumed I was a priestess of some sort. When a pregnant lady sprained her ankle I asked Kaede if I could try something- to which she reluctantly agreed- and I walked over.
The woman's knees and palms were scratched up and bleeding. I wanted to be a good healer, so I could be of more use to Inuyasha and the others. So I sat down in front of the woman and began praying. I searched for that flame inside of me, calling out to the fish spirit that offered me help before. In the depths I could hear it- far away, so quiet. A river stream rushing forward, never ending.
O' mighty flowing river, I began nervously, trying to recall my previous experience with it, please…
The red pentagram that appeared beneath turned blue. The woman and her companions gasped, clearly concerned, before their reactions became that of awe. Kaede's eye widened. I reached out, resting a hand gently on the injured woman's leg.
Give me your blessing?
A fish leapt out of the symbol and washed over the woman with its light, the flames reaching out and dancing along her injured flesh. The fish's eyes stared at me questioningly as it swam through the air, splashing shortly back into the circle and disappearing alongside the flames. The woman sat up, a hand on her ankle, and she was surprised to see that her cuts were gone. Her palms were clear of any scratches now and her ankle… she could walk just fine.
"My back doesn't even hurt anymore!" She said as her husband helped her stand. Kaede watched me closely as I wobbled up into a standing position, offering a weak smile to her. "Thank you, Lady Irene! You must be really happy to have such wonderful people as your apprentices, Priestess Kaede."
"Apprentices?" She echoed. The elderly woman chuckled. "Oh no. Young Irene here is not my apprentice. Neither is Miss Kagome, I imagine. I simply offer them advice and accept their help when offered. Besides, Irene here does not possess the same spiritual power as we. Our's is of a holy sort. We can purify and exercise demons through prayer, whereas she… works with the spirits more directly. Even I do not fully understand the extent of her power."
"I… see." The woman didn't seem convinced. She turned to me again, a hand on her stomach as she bowed her head. "Well, I offer you my thanks. My sandal snapped on me and before I knew it… oh, I hope this doesn't affect my baby."
"Your child should be fine, but if ye wish I can have a look at it?" Kaede suggested. "Irene, why don't you go find Shippō or Inuyasha, try and learn more about that mysterious power of yours?"
"Um…" I bit my lip, thinking about it. "I guess. Practice would be nice. Okay. Bye~!" I waved at the lady and her friends, smiling as brightly as I could. "Have a nice day!"
Some of the girls giggled at my enthusiasm and offered small waves back. A lot of the men from the village didn't seem to like me very much, finding me rather suspicious due to my foreign heritage, but the women and children found me friendly enough. A lot of them seemed rather charmed by my bubbliness when I spoke to them, which was honestly a lot easier to do when I pretended I was back at home. Acting like I was at the Renaissance Fair… it was easier to be myself.
With Inuyasha and the others, however, constantly being reminded by them that I was in another era… it was near impossible trying to be cheerful. The threat of death always looming over my head, the idea of never finding Maria… it was suffocating. But they were my friends, or at least I thought of them as such, and I wasn't going to avoid them because of my own problems.
Asking around, as per usual, I got answers. They all led me in different locations, but I finally found Inuyasha in the forest clearing just outside the village, swinging his tetsusaiga around and practicing his stance. "Naraku… the next time I find you; I'll kill you once and for all." Shippō was staring intently at his leaves, picking apart the good ones from the bad. I approached, uncertain if it would really be alright to ask the hotheaded half-demon to practice with me "Hyah! Rah!"
Shippō looked up, seeing me approach. "Irene! How'd things go with Kaede?"
"Uh, good." I answered, grinning a little. I mentally thanked the spirits for helping me, not desiring to get on their bad side and being genuinely grateful that they helped. "I managed to ask the Shikigami to heal a lady that was preggers…"
"Preggers?" Inuyasha paused upon hearing that unfamiliar word and Shippō blinked. "What's that?"
"Pregnant." I corrected. I then clapped my hands together, walking over. "Anyway, I have a question! Inuyasha!"
The half-demon lowered his sword and turned. "What?"
"Wanna train with me?"
He snorted. "Like you can fight."
I held a finger up to argue, paused, thought for a moment, and then spoke. "I need to practice using the Shikigami, right? You even said so yesterday! I… I can't rely on you guys all the time t-to protect me, so…"
The half-demon turned around, facing me fully as he slung his blade over his shoulder. Why does he hold it like that? Isn't he worried about hurting himself? I really don't understand him. He and Kagome are always arguing, but I feel like she knows him the best. I actually think they're crushing on each other, but… there's something about that dead priestess they refuse to tell me. Did Inuyasha know her maybe? The person Kagome is a reincarnation of? They never like to talk about her.
"Please? I-I want to be able to defend, at least…"
Inuyasha stared at me for a long moment, then stepped forward and got into a stance. He held his sword with both hands, pointing it at me. "Alright, give me your best shot. No holding back!"
"Wait- really?"
He rolled his eyes. "Obviously, stupid. Hurry up!"
I jumped, nerves all over the place in my panic to try and figure out how I wanted to do this. "R-Right! Sorry! Um. Okay. Think. Uh, it takes a second, okay? I don't- um." I waved my hands in front of me for a moment, trying to relax. Inhale, exhale. Focus. I don't want to hurt Inuyasha, but I do want to be able to land an attack. "How should I…?"
I held my hands out, remembering what occurred in the forest. How did I make those fireballs appear? It can't be that hard, right? There was no spirit animal, so was I just channeling their energy? This is so confusing. Closing my eyes I concentrated, flexing my fingers and trying to feel that warmth.
Should I feel some sort of anger? I was scared back then with the demon; I didn't want to die. Were my powers fueled solely by emotion?
"Shikigami…" I murmured quietly, eyes closed. "Please."
Inuyasha narrowed his amber orbs at me, watching intently as red flames licked my fingers. Breathe. Feel the heat, the rush of energy inside of me. The warmth pooling in the palm of my hand, gentle and nonthreatening. Easy.
Opening my eyes, I stared at the flames, heart racing as I tried to urge them to grow bigger. My arms were clearly shaking and I think Inuyasha noticed that, for he tightened his grip on his blade and held it in front of his face protectively- as if ready to deflect an attack in case it shot out accidentally. I wanted this to…
"Um, how painful should I make this?" I flinched at that awful phrasing. "I mean-!"
"Just throw it at me! I said not to hold back."
"W-Well, I don't want to actually hurt you!"
He scoffed. "As if you could. Just throw it!"
"Freaking- fine! I'll make it a mean fire! I-If I can." Calm down, don't get hyper. I'm fine; this is fine. Seeing the red flame turn orange, I awkwardly brought my hands together to try and increase the blast size and the trajectory of it. "H-Here goes; you ready?"
"Evidently more than you are." He sassed. I made a face at him, to which he grinned in response. Oh. He was joking with me. I didn't know that was thing Inuyasha knew how to do. "Bring it!"
"O-Okay. Uh, here!"
Trying not to feel like a total fool as I imagined the ball of orange flame to shoot outwards, I let out a small yelp from recoil. I hadn't actually expected it burst out of my hands like it did, leaving me stumbling back from the blast.
"Sh-Shikigami attacked!?"
Inuyasha watched as the fire hurtled towards and waved his sword, trying to disperse it by smacking it away with the blunt side of his blade. Instead it wrapped around it, attaching itself to it, and spread along his arm. "What the-!?" He waved his kimono wildly, trying to get it to disappear. "This stuff is sticking to me! The hell!? Get it off!"
"S-Sorry!" I frantically apologized, dashing over foolishly and wearing myself out of some much needed oxygen. I tried patting it out, but while it seemed to burn Inuyasha's hand it did nothing to mine. "Stop! Hey! Frick- you're hurting yourself!" I smacked his hand away and tried to cover the flames with my own hands. "Shippō- water! Get water!"
"I'm on it! Don't die, Inuyasha!"
It wasn't spreading along his arm, but simply staying put. "I'm not gonna die, dumbass! Besides, it doesn't hurt so long as it isn't touching my flesh," Inuyasha noted, pulling his arm away from me and observing the orange flames, "which may be in part to my robe of the fire rat. Or maybe you were holding back on me. I can't really say."
"...Your what of the what-what?" I asked, dumbfounded. "There are fire rats?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded. "I've had this kimono ever since I was born. It isn't much, but it does offer some protection, which is due to the fur its made out of."
"...Huh. That's nifty."
"Guys, I've got it! Here!" Shippō leapt in the air and threw the bucket at him, soaking Inuyasha completely. Thankfully the fire did go out, but now Inuyasha was wet head-to-toes. He was not a happy half-demon. "It went out!"
"I've noticed." He grouched, sarcasm dripping heavily from his tongue. "Thanks."
"H-How's your hand?"
He blinked, holding it up to see his singed palm. "S'not that bad. It'll heal by tomorrow."
"But… it's a burn…"
"And I'm half demon. Duh." I tilted my head, not understanding. He explained, "My body is a lot different from humans like you and Kagome. I heal faster."
Oh. That makes sense. "Can I try and heal you?"
"Why don't we focus on your attacks more? That way you can deal some actual damage that will need healing."
I really don't want to now. I looked down at Shippō, biting my bottom lip. "C-Can you go get some more water…? I-I want to have some ready in case it gets worse. Please?"
Shippō nodded. "Yeah, sure thing!"
After several hours of us working together and Shippō being on guard in case something bad happened, we finally got somewhere. I could create balls of fire in just a few seconds now, each blast the size of a rubber ball toy you could buy at a store, which after some mistakes were discovered to burn easily through grass and leaves, and only singed Inuyasha a little bit. By the time Kaede came by to check on us the half-demon's hands were a painful red, and he was still soaking wet.
Squatting down, the half-demon stuck his butt up into the air and shook himself like a dog to dry himself. I looked away, hiding my laughter behind my hand, but unable to keep back my smile. He really was like a puppy.
Shippō cried out when he got splashed and Inuyasha laughed at him. They quickly began to argue, which resulted in the fox demon somehow ending up in Inuyasha's grasp, the half-demon giving him a noogie. He seemed unperturbed by his aching knuckles. I placed my hands together, thinking deeply, asking for the fish's help once more. The pentagram appeared at my feet and the fish leapt forward, swimming in the air towards Inuyasha.
The half-demon blinked and watched as the blue fire washed over him. "This is…"
While I spent the time mentally thanking the Shikigami for their help and their patience as I figured out how on earth to do this, the fish swam around the half-demon and then proceeded to dive back into the summoning circle and disappear since Inuyasha's flesh had returned back to its normal healthy tan.
"Wow." He blinked, holding his hands out and flexing the fingers. Inuyasha made a fist. "I feel good as new!"
"Really?" I wheezed, leaning over with a hand on my chest as I struggled to catch my breath. "Th-That's good…"
He was completely refreshed, but I was drained as a result. Why did the healing take so much out of me? Because it was a powerful summon? The fireballs were easy to get used to after a while, but this… really wore me out. I plopped down on the ground, landing on my rear and resting my hands behind me as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
"So tired…"
"Ye trained hard, certainly you must be." Kaede's voice startled me, but I was so exhausted it barely made me jump. "Why don't ye all come back to the hut? I have dinner prepared."
I fell onto my back, letting out a heavy sigh as I really didn't want to get up. Inuyasha sheathed his sword, walking forward. "I guess we can go… whattya say, Shippō?"
"Food!" Was the fox demon's answer, leaping up and grabbing onto the half-demon's shoulder. "You coming with us, Irene?"
"Give me… a minute…"
Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up onto my feet and stumbled after Kaede, Inuyasha, and Shippō. The hakama was feeling a lot more comfortable, even if I wished I was wearing normal clothes. Then I had to remind myself that these technically were normal clothes- just not the kind I was used to. The hut wasn't too far away and when we finally arrived Kaede scooped us each a bowl of stew with a helping of rice.
It wasn't much, but… I was grateful.
And as I sipped from the bowl and struggled with the chopsticks, I became mildly disturbed at how easily I was getting… comfortable here. I was adapting quickly to this life, becoming used to everyday life at Kaede's. I follow her around, get a lecture in herbs, carried baskets of fruits or medicine for her, and I even run errands. I practice with Inuyasha, play with Shippō, and just… keep going. Without Kagome here reminding me with her very presence that this wasn't my home, her uniform sticking out amongst everything, I… stopped thinking.
And that bitter feeling came back to me again. She was back in her time, sleeping in a real bed, eating with family, going to school and chatting with friends. There was no real danger for her there. She was safe.
So why… am I here? Why are Maria and I stuck here? What makes Kagome so special?
I hate it.
And I want to hate her, but… I like her too much. I just feel bad for myself. For my sister. I couldn't bring myself to blame her. I know it wasn't her fault.
I just wish I knew whose it was.
The next day was spent overall the same, except I was now pondering my life and if it was really alright for me to accept things as they were. Living in this village was starting to feel permanent and, more than any demon, that scared me the most. Inuyasha had left to bring back Kagome, disappearing into the well, and Shippō was helping me write down the different herbs and their uses in a notebook that was left behind by Kagome. I was trying to memorize everything, but I learned better by actually doing than watching, so once we were done the two of us went out into the forest to search for some herbs.
We found quite a bit and on our way back we saw a few new villagers. They weren't in this place before, which meant… tourists? Weird. Shippō and I ignored them and continued on to the hut, but as we walked by the merchant a rather large man stopped me. "Hey, you!" I came to a halt, whirling around startled. "Yeah, you! Do you know if they sell any good cakes around here?"
"Uh…" I looked at Shippō for help, but the demon looked just as confused. "N-No? I just, uh, got here myself so…"
"I see. Hmmm."
Shippō tugged on my pants leg and I started to move again.
"Oh! Wait a minute, I know you!"
What? My eyebrows knit together at that and I turned, confused. "No you don't."
The large man shook his head, black eyes staring intently at me as he hummed in thought. "Yeah… Yeah, I do! I've seen you somewhere before! Where was it though…?"
"Irene, Shippō!" A familiar voice greeted. We all moved to see Kagome running and waving at us, her neon backpack even larger than before and being carried by a grumpy Inuyasha. "How are you!? Sorry for taking so long!"
"Kagome…" She was still wearing her school uniform, sticking out more than anyone in this time. Even more than me, who clearly didn't belong here because of my facial features. I wondered why she bothered to come back here when she had a home so easy to return to. "Um, so funny story!" I held the basket of herbs close to my chest. "This dude thinks he knows me."
Kagome and Inuyasha came to a halt, stopping beside us. "This fat one?" The half-demon asked.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. "Don't say such a thing! That's rude!"
"He's not wrong." Shippō muttered. I looked down at Shippō with big eyes and proceeded to shush him. "What?"
"Behave!"
"Hmph." The demon turned his head away and crossed his arms, pouting. "I am behaving…"
"Oh, I know where it was now!" The large man suddenly exclaimed, placing his hands together. "It was in Kasasagi Town!"
"Kasa… what town?" I struggled with the name. "I've literally never heard of that place."
The man shook his head. "No mistake. I saw you in Kasasagi Town. I'd remember you anywhere! It's not often we get foreigners around here. My name is Kimbei, by the way; what's yours?"
"I-Irene…"
Kagome looked between us, concerned by this news. "Maybe we should go talk to Kaede about this… it doesn't sound good. You've never been there before, so why would your face be seen there?"
"I don't like this." Shippō said, frowning as he clutched tightly to his basket. "This sounds bad."
"Maybe it's a demon with a jewel shard?" Inuyasha suggested. "Either way; we're going to find out. Come on."
Sending each other nervous glances and being overall bothered by this discovery, we all made our way forward- following Inuyasha's lead as he sniffed out the old priestess. I hoped that maybe Kimbei mistook my sister for me, as we were often told that if it weren't for our age differences we could be twins. Our voices were even similar to a point- if I lowered my voice just enough I could mimic her. We made such similar faces, too. My thumbs traced the weaving of the basket, nerves on edge as thoughts ran rampant through my mind.
Kaede was in her hut, thankfully, so we didn't have to search too hard for her. It helped that Inuyasha had such a keen sense of smell. Kagome spoke up for me, seeing how nervous I was, and explained our situation to her. "I see… Kimbei is definitely a bit of a gluttonous young man, but he's no liar. He visits this village frequently, so I trust him. If he says he saw you before…"
She trailed off, watching as the dots connected in my head. I groaned and lowered my head, realizing very quickly what this meant. "I'm gonna have to go find that town, aren't I?"
The priestess chuckled. "Only if it bothers you. It could be a sign- perhaps Maria is searching for you? Or perhaps it is Maria that he saw? Do ye not wish to find out?"
"I-I do…"
"There isn't much to do around here," Kagome told me, offering a small smile, "and it can't hurt to check it out. And in the city we can hear stories about the sacred jewel shards, so we might get a lead on Naraku!"
"But…" I took a shaky breath, looking at her. "I don't want to… bother you guys. I'll just slow you down, won't I?"
Kagome blinked. "What do you mean "slow us down"?"
Inuyasha walked forward, hands in his sleeves. "What are you guys goin' on and on about? If we're headed to Kasasagi Town we need to get going! Honestly, do I have to do everything around here?"
"Wh-What?" I snapped my head up to look at him. Was I hearing things correctly? There's no way he said that. "You're coming too?"
"Don't get me wrong." He said, frowning. Still, as he spoke, I couldn't detect any harshness in his words. Inuyasha was scowling, but his expression was softer than before. "It's only 'cause I'll do anything to find the shards of the sacred jewel! Now pack up so we can get going!"
"Wait a minute, Inuyasha!" Kagome started, "I just got here! Give us a few minutes, okay? I have some clothes for Irene to wear since her last ones got torn up."
"You do?" I don't understand why she goes out of her way for me. I'm not deserving of it. I gave Kagome a startled smile. "Uh, thank you. Normal clothes would be nice."
"I thought you would say that!" Kagome beamed. She grabbed her backpack from Inuyasha and plopped it on the ground, opening it. "I figured you'd like sweaters and whatnot, so I brought you some! We're pretty close in size, so… here. Try this!"
She handed me a blue-and-white striped long-sleeve shirt and black jeans.
"I didn't know your shoe size, so… I'm sorry."
I took the garments gratefully, stunned by her overwhelming kindness. "N-No, no! That's perfectly fine! My gods, Kagome; you're already doing so much I- I'm okay with being barefoot. I've gotten used to it, actually. Don't worry about it! I'm just gonna… change into these real quick. Okay?"
Kagome nodded and smiled, pleased by my reaction. "Alrighty! Well, I suppose I should go shopping for supplies. Inuyasha, come with me!"
"Do I have to?" He grumbled as he was dragged along, Kagome having a hold of his arm, but he didn't fight it. The half-demon followed willingly. Yeah, they were definitely crushing on each other. Heading into the back of the hut I quickly switched clothes, changing out of the priestess attire and into the more casual modern day clothing.
It felt amazing being back in familiar clothes again. Even if they were technically from an age maybe twenty or so years behind mine. I stretched and raised my arms high above my head, happily embracing the feeling of proper sleeves. I then buried the kimono in my blue backpack, as I would probably need a change of clothes down the line. Kagome said she had more, but… I felt it better safe than sorry. I was a paranoid human.
Sitting on the ground inside the hut I flipped through the notebook of herbs, attempting to memorize them all. There were so many it was hard to remember what each one could do. Eventually Kagome returned and she pulled out the bentos she had made, wanting us to have a full stomach in case we had to battle, and let me tell you one thing.
It. Was. Heavenly.
Perfectly cooked rice with little octo-dogs, pieces of chicken, and- to my complete and utter delight- grapes and cheese, and an omelette filled with ham. And when I reached into the rice to open it… curry was inside! I never had curry before, but Kagome made it without putting in too much spice.
Mixed in with the rice it was ambrosia to my tastebuds.
"Kagome~!" I was crying as I ate, savoring the flavors and the beauty of the meal. "I love you so much…!"
She laughed, used to my weird antics by now. "I'm glad you like it!"
After we ate our meal we bade Kaede goodbye and headed out.
…
It took us an entire day to reach the halfway point. We might have gotten there faster if every little demon we came across didn't want to pick a fight, but for some reason they all were intent to attack. It got to the point where we were completely crowded, like what happened in the old temple. If I didn't know any better I would have suspected the world itself was telling them all where we would be, trying to slow us down and kill us.
Perhaps a demon with a grudge against Inuyasha and Kagome? Someone like this Naraku man I've been told about, or maybe the many demons just like our scent. I'm probably overthinking it all. But still… it irritated me.
On the bright side I could at least attack now, rather than constantly hiding behind the half-demon that was carrying me. At one point Shippō used a firebomb attack and I managed to increase his attack power with the Shikigami- a move that wore us both out, unfortunately, but destroyed a good portion of the demons attacking us. This allowed Inuyasha to leap up and catch Kagome as she fell through the air, having previously been held hostage, and he slashed at all those who dare oppose him. With Kagome safely back on the ground behind him, he unleashed his Wind Scar and got rid of not only the demons- Inuyasha took care of a small portion of the forest as well.
I felt bad for the trees and flowers, as they certainly didn't deserve such a cruel end.
We were alive though, so I thanked them for their sacrifice.
The sky grew dark and we made camp, and while Inuyasha scouted the area for both firewood and demons Kagome got to making supper. We ate, I took my daily meds, and the group fell asleep. It was a long night and I didn't get much sleep, cold and mind left unsettled due to the strange things Kimbei told me. Was Maria really the one he saw? I hoped so.
Maybe if it is her and we reunite, we can try the bone-eater's well together. Perhaps the reason it wasn't working was because only one was trying to get through. We came here together after all. I sighed and burrowed deeper under the sleeping bag Kagome prepared for me, praying that no bugs crawled into my hair or mouth while I was passed out.
The next morning started as they usually did when we traveled.
Then, climbing onto Inuyasha's back, we took off for Kasasagi Town.
We arrived during the evening, parking Kagome's bike and backpacks up in a tree (thank the friendly neighborhood half-demon) where no one would find it. The town, or city as Kagome kept calling it, was the biggest one nearest to Kaede's village. They sold pretty much everything one could need for travelling. Medicine, food, even jewelry and clothes. Nothing too fancy, but the basic necessities and accessories one could need or want. It was a lot louder compared to Kaede's quaint little village, with five times the amount of people.
I didn't like it. Crowds… made me anxious.
"With all these people, I think we should split up and ask around." Kagome suggested, voicing her thoughts. I tensed at that idea. "We'd cover more ground that way."
"It'll get dark out before we can ask everyone." Inuyasha commented, nose sniffing the air as he looked up at the sky. "It was pure luck we got here with the sun still out."
No, no, no. Please don't tell me we're actually doing this. I don't want to. "S-So, what? We ask around on our own and meet back… where? Here?"
"Right." Kagome nodded. Oh frick, this is actually happening. "The city is big, so be careful not to get lost."
Then why don't you come with me, hm? I would love to not be alone in this town. Shippō looked up at me, grinning encouragingly. "We'll see you soon, okay, Irene? The villagers here are supposed to be really nice!"
"O-Okay…" I found my heart dropping down into my stomach as the trio walked in, heading into separate direction. The farther they walked and disappeared from my view the more lonesome I felt. They knew I was uncomfortable with villagers, right? The last time I tried to talk to some on my own I was nearly killed! What makes them think it'll be so different this time? It wasn't Kaede's village where everyone knew who I was, or thought I was some kind of Onmyōdō Priestess. "It's fine. This is fine."
Easy, girl. Deep breaths. No one will hurt.
Right?
With that I forced myself to walk into the town. Several villagers caught my attention instantly and as I approached in my strange clothing, features clearing not that of Japanese, their heads whirled around and they stared with wide eyes. Some glared, but others were more accepting and answered any questions I had. One man even ranted to me about how he planned to open up a business someday in the town, providing he was successful enough.
Several women complained about how the town didn't have nice enough jewelry, while a particularly hard-of-hearing old man ignored my questions and instead wished me luck on my (apparent) shopping spree. I tried to explain that I wasn't buying anything, but he didn't understand. I was gaining more confidence with talking to the villagers, but no one I asked seemed to have heard anything about a foreign woman with reddish hair, or met anyone by the name of Maria.
I was at a total loss.
I hope the others found anything…
I was so close to crying. Dragging my feet along the ground I muttered to myself, trying and failing to raise my morale. It wasn't working. As I was walking a hand suddenly latched around my arm and I jumped, a yelp escaping my lips as I turned to see who it was, fearing the worst, only to see a young woman wearing make-up frowning at me.
"Hey! Do you see this?" She gestured to a man near a wall, the young girl absolutely fuming. She couldn't be older than fifteen. "We're finally alone together, but… but… that stupid wanted poster! Hey! Just how long are you gonna be looking at that?"
She dragged me along with her as she approached the much older man. I found myself rather disturbed as I realized the implications of what she was saying. They were a couple. He had to be nearly thirty.
Feudal Era.
It's normal here.
Don't freak out.
This is fine.
The age difference is so much!
He'd be considered a pedophile in my time. Urgh, I want to throw up. I don't want to hate on the ancient culture and law here, but… ew. That's just wrong. I watched with masked disgust as the man looked over at her, gaze totally awed by the picture hanging on the wall. "Just look, Tomoe! There's a woman on the poster!"
"You're such a loser!" She hissed, brown eyes enraged.
"No, seriously; they're all over the town! I wondered what that lady did… huh?" The man turned to look at me, blinking and turning to gaze at the picture. "That really looks like you…"
What? I yanked my arm out of the woman's hand, who jumped at the movement as she had forgotten she was even holding it, and stepped forward to look at the poster. My expression became blank for a moment before it ignited with surprise. Holy-!
There, drawn ever so carefully in black ink, was a portrait of a girl. With round foreign features, and big almond-shaped eyes framed by long lashes, her short chopped hair a mess, with strands of hair sticking out here-and-there, and bangs pushed to the side. It wasn't Maria, no, but… that smile was recognizable anywhere.
"That is you!" The man gasped. Suddenly I found my arms being grabbed- not just by him, but as he shouted several more men nearby came by and joined in. "M'lord! M'lord, the girl from the wanted poster is here! Guards! Someone!"
"L-Let go of me!" I shrieked, trying to pull away. I thrashed and kicked, heart racing rampant inside my chest as their cruel eyes stared down at me. "I-I didn't do anything! That's not-!"
"Grab her! Don't let her get away!"
One villager latched onto my foot and I straight up screamed at him. My heel made contact with his face and I apologized loudly in my panic, then proceeded to beg for them release me once more. The woman who had dragged me up brought her perfectly manicured nails up to her face, horrified by what was happening. "I-I knew she was a foreigner, but a criminal?"
"You wench-!" Knuckles rammed hard into the side of my face and I choked, unable to breathe. Someone's knee made contact with my side and I collapsed against the ground, people kicking me and shoving me around as if I was nothing but a ragdoll to be beaten. As a fist made contact with my stomach, I found myself throwing up everything I had eaten earlier today. "What did you do to our lord!? You'll pay!"
"She's a demon! Look at her clothes!" A woman cried. "She must be a fox!"
"Kill the fox demon! She'll murder us all in our sleep!"
Iron touched my taste buds and in my haze I barely even realized I was bleeding. Even women were throwing stones. It was only when several guards walked up and pushed the villagers aside that the senseless abuse stopped. They grabbed me by the arms and dragged me away, blood dripping down my chin and out of the cuts I now sustained, body bruised everywhere. I coughed, dizzy and hardly able to process anything.
For a minute everything went black. When I next opened my eyes I was greeted with the face of a young man. Hair pulled back in a topknot, he had little wrinkles around his eyes that showed he smiled a lot. In this case, however, he was very much not smiling. This man was greatly upset.
"Well, well, well; if it isn't the girl from the wanted poster!" There was no humor in his words, the man's face stern and serious. He growled, "Did you really think you get away with it? We were going to find you sooner or later…"
I wheezed, hacking up some rather undesirable liquids, and spat out blood. My lungs felt so clogged I couldn't breathe. "I-I don't… know…" I gasped. "...what you're… t-talking about…"
The man frowned and watched as the guards hoisted me up higher, trying to get me to look at him properly. One jabbed my elbow and I cried out, tears burning my eyes. Everything hurt so much. Why were they acting like this? What did I do wrong? I don't understand. I just wanted to find my sister.
I just wanted to go home.
"I-I'm sorry…" I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut. "I-I'm… sorry. Wh-Whatever I did… I'm s-sorry…"
"You truly are a gifted actress." The man commented, something flashing in his eyes. Guilt, perhaps? "I don't know myself exactly what it is you've done, but the castle's messenger definitely wants you imprisoned. Just what did you do to anger them so?"
"I-I've never… b-been-!" Am I supposed to be coughing up this much blood? I feel so dizzy. "Castle… don't know…"
"You really think I'm going to believe you over the castle messenger? Please!" The man scoffed. "You're just a foreign spy. The normal punishment for this sin is beheading, but they want you alive… Guards! Take this wench to the cells and keep her there until Kagura arrives!"
Who? Kagura? That name sounds so familiar and yet I can't… place it. I'm so tired.
Too beaten and worn to fight back, I could only allow myself to be dragged through the headman's courtyard. My eyes slid shut and I crumpled to the cold stone floor after they threw me into the cell, slamming the wooden bar doors shut and locking them. "Behave yourself!" One of the guards shouted. "You'll face judgment soon enough."
My fingers dragged at the stone and I coughed, rolling onto my side. I tried to go over the details in my head, but none of it made sense. I didn't know anyone named Kagura, nor have I ever been to a castle. It was Akebi village all over again, but this time instead of a demon… I was a criminal. Why was my face on that wanted poster? Who was Kagura and what did she want with me? I don't understand.
M-Maria…
She has to be having a better time of it than I was; I won't accept anything else. She's strong.
I need to… get out.
My muscles ached and throbbed when I tried to move, and my body was too sore to even sit. I was stuck on the ground, spitting up blood. Ugh, I'm so nauseous. Would anyone even notice I was gone? Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippō… would they even care? I'm just a bother that continuously slows them down. They'd be better off without me.
And yet… they came with me here to Kasasagi Town. Why?
What did I do to warrant such kindness from them?
I want to repay them. I want to help find these jewel shards they're so intent on locating.
I want to be helpful.
Shikigami… My vision blurred and my breath caught in my throat, too clogged up with blood for me to inhale oxygen. I hacked and spit, trying to clear it. Help me…
My fingers clawed at the ground, nothing happening at all for a very long time. When I found myself about to reach the shimmering green rock wall, my hands shimmered red. A pentagram formed on the ground and out of it leapt the same dog from before, fur puffy and made out of red flames. I watched out of the corner of my eye as it walked over, pawsteps not making a sound.
The dog stopped beside me and knelt down, making a strange whimpering noise. It pressed its muzzle to my cheek and proceeded to lick the blood of my face. It was disgusting, but I lacked the strength to protest. He- yes, the dog was male- sat down beside me and let out a sad howl, as though he were crying. It… hurt to listen to. I wanted to pet the creature and tell him I would be fine, but I had no voice.
Flames appeared shortly after the dog's wail, blue and dancing at my feet. It spread onto the rest of my body and I was swallowed whole, buried in the fire. It didn't burn, in fact it wasn't even warm. As the worst of my wounds faded away and healed I could make out the fish swimming in the air, the koi splashing its fins and sending sparks everywhere. Able to move- finally, jeez- I reached out and planted a hand on the top of the dog's head.
His dark eyes turned to look at me and I offered a small smile, grateful for the Shikigami's help. With a wince I sat up, body still on fire, and I moved closer to properly pet the creature. He shuffled closer and rested his chin on my thigh, ears perking up and tail wagging excitedly at the affection. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are! You're the bestest boy, aren't you? Aww-" I scratched behind his ears and under his chin, fingers running through his fur. The blue flames gradually died away and when they did the dog reached out and licked my hand, disappearing himself into a flash of red sparks. "Uh… bye, then? Thank you, Shikigami people! You're amazing and I love you!"
I was left alone in the cold cell, body sore yet no longer bleeding. My bruises were still intact, but that was fine. I could at least move now. With a grunt I stood, wobbling over to the stone wall and leaning against it. I felt so dizzy.
Need to get out. I could light the wooden bars on fire, but that might spread here.
I'm not too keen on burning alive. Hmm. Wait.
"The stone is…" It was green. The very same green I've seen before. "Dude, seriously? What are the chances!? Ha!"
I stepped back and faced the wall properly, resting my palms against the stone. I didn't know who this Kagura person was or what the castle wanted with me, but I didn't commit any crime. I was innocent. As such I'm not going to remain here to become fodder for some kingdom's petty amusement! I'm no spy or villain.
"Freaking jerks…"
The flames lit up out of my fingertips and stretched around the wall, tearing into the Serpentine Rock. Cracks spread along the surface, glowing a bright red, and the rocks quickly crumbled away. This created a path out of the cell to the back of the jail, which allowed me to head into the headman's backyard. As I stumbled into the area I quickly ducked down, noting several guards posted in the area. It was hard keeping my breathing to a minimum, especially since I was having so much trouble inhaling anyway, but I could move and that was what mattered.
I just had to be careful.
Crouching low to the ground, I waited and watched from behind a piece of foliage as a man paced about, disappearing occasionally behind the main building. I thought about darting ahead, before deciding to count how often he vanished from view. I waited, silent, and counted to five when he disappeared and returned.
He was still pacing. Frick, there's that other guard. How to get out of here? A distraction…
I looked around, finding a rather big rock. My throwing arm was terrible, so that wouldn't work.
I need… something.
But you know what? I don't think I'll find it. So without further adieu I darted forward as soon as the first guard vanished behind the building, frantically counting down in my head for when he would show up again. I had just barely managed to get to the main bridge, sliding into the water in a desperate attempt to hide. "Did you hear that?"
"What?"
"It sounded like it came from over there…"
No, no, no. Don't come over here. Frick. Seeing their feet start to head in this direction I buried my head under the water, slowly moving under the bridge as they walked around. This is so stressful! Aghh! Okay. This is good. Keep moving around that way. Perfect. I moved my legs, holding my breath for as long as humanly possible before reaching the other side of the bridge, resisting the overwhelming urge to burst into coughs and gasp for air. Don't panic!
I inhaled from my nose slowly, only increasing the burn in my chest and the throbbing in my skull, and kept low to the ground as I made my way out of the pond.
Almost there!
"M'lord! M'lord, the prisoner's escaped!"
For a split second my heart stopped. I whipped my head to look over my shoulder, fearful I had been found. They were looking at the hole in the back of the cell, investigating in it. The guards hadn't seen me. With that I pulled myself out of the pond, body weighed down by the wet clothes I was wearing, and I stumbled towards the back gate.
"There she is!"
It's locked! Why is it locked!?
The soldiers were running towards me, spears ready to be used. A terrified squeal escaped my lips and I did the most ridiculous, painful thing ever. I dashed over to a nearby barrel, climbed onto it, and jumped onto the blue-tiled roof. My hands were wet and slippery and it was hard to get a good grasp, but I was desperate. I coughed and wheezed and gasped, arms shaking and fingers numb as I pulled myself up. The guards were shouting and started saying something about arrows, and I knew my time was limited.
Grasping tightly onto the tiling, pulling, I nearly fell back to the ground when one of them ripped off completely. I kicked at the ledge and grimaced, making several pained noises as I reached the top. Something sharp grazed my shoulder and I nearly let go, startled, but I caught the top of the roof in time. The guards had grabbed their bows. Frick.
"Guh-!" One hit hard in my left arm the exact second I tossed a leg over to the other side.
I rolled and flattened myself onto my front, fingers catching and grasping tightly the tiles. Breathing deeply and trying to catch my breath as several more arrows flew through the air, I could barely hear them cursing and shouting due to the pounding of my own heart. I actually…
Holy shit.
I give up, man. I can't do this. I coughed and slowly moved down, turning so my feet were facing the edge. This was not easy; I've never even done anything like this before in my life! I was terrified of heights. Grabbing the edge I tried to carefully let myself down- but I moved too fast and wasn't prepared for the weight of my body once suspended and I tumbled down with a screech.
"Open the gates! Find her!"
Grabbing the arrow tightly as I pushed myself up, I limped with a sprained ankle. Pain flared all the way up my leg like sharp needles, but none were as sharp as the steel buried into my flesh. Yanking out the arrow and crying as a result, I wobbled down the back alleys of the town until I found a decent place to hide. Hearing their footsteps close behind I panicked, throwing the arrow in the opposite direction and burying myself into a large wagon full of hay.
"Where'd she go!? Find her! Check the houses!"
Stay calm, stay calm; don't panic. This is fine.
I can do this. I got this far, didn't I? I'm okay.
They need me alive.
"Fuck! Where's the wench?"
"Damn it, how are we going to explain this to the messenger…?"
Granted it's only long enough for me to be executed by royalty, but still. Gods, it hurts. I can't hold my breath for much longer; I'm getting so dizzy. My head won't stop pounding and neither will my heart. I'm scared. I'm so scared.
"She could be hiding anywhere in the town! Let's split up, men!"
I didn't move. If I did I feared I would be found out. With my ankle injured as it was and blood pooling out of my arm, I knew I wouldn't get very far. Once I was certain I was alone I began to breathe again, fighting a sneeze as the hay tickled my nose. The pointy strands of grass stabbed into my bruises and wounds, only making me hurt more.
It was so cold. How long have I been hiding? I heard footsteps and voices, but I found them hard to identify. I didn't even shift my position.
Suddenly the wagon began to move and I tensed, eyes snapping wide open, and then it stopped. Someone was shouting. Was it a guard? Did I get found out? I won't be able to get away this time; I'm screwed. I'll be brought to the headman and then to the castle, and then I'll lose my head. I don't want to be put on a guillotine o-or anything else. Oh gods.
Panicked, I threw myself out of the hay and fell to the ground, fingers digging into the dirt. I dragged myself away and scrambled onto my feet, limping away and ignoring the cries of the startled villagers. Blood stained my clothes, but I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to be somewhere safe. I was so tired, so hungry. I needed a hug.
I honestly couldn't say how long I wandered the back streets of the town, heading left and right and left and left and straight and then down and then right again. It was a maze. Villagers that recognized me as the wandering foreigner searching for Maria looked concerned, confused about my current state and how I ended up like this. The old man that had bad hearing asked if I would like to come in and clean myself up, and I almost accepted.
Almost being the keyword. But then I grew paranoid. Were the guards inside? Would they ambush me the second I got comfortable?
No. I couldn't risk it.
It was nightfall by the time I got back to the town entrance, falling down by the tree and collapsing next to it. When I woke up it was to Shippō's frantic cries and Kagome's worried voice. "Irene! Oh thank goodness! You're awake!"
"We rushed here as quick as we could!" Shippō said, "But when we waited for you to show up… you never did! There were wanted posters of you everywhere and then these guards kept asking questions…"
"What the hell happened to you?" Inuyasha demanded, squatting down in front of me. "Are you okay? You look like a mess!"
My lips curled back and a strangled sob escaped my lips. Kagome's eyes widened. "I… I was so scared!" The girl instantly reached forward, wrapping her arms around me and resting my head against her shoulder. I cried, sniffling and hiccuping and clinging tightly to her with my bloody hands. "Th-They just started to… to grab me a-and hit me and-! I… I was in- they put me in j-jail a-and I can't… Somebody named K-Kagura…!"
"What!?" Inuyasha recoiled, rage taking over his features immediately. "Kagura!? She's here?"
"There's no way…" Shippō looked horrified. "It's not that Kagura, is it?"
I pulled away from Kagome and looked up at them lost, mind a mess and heart a bit broken. "Y… You kn-know her? She's… they said… They said she's a messenger from the castle."
Kagome frowned. "You remember what we told you about Naraku and the jewel shards, right? Kagura is his female incarnation. She was born from his flesh."
"She uses the wind and possess the dead. She's disgusting." Inuyasha growled, amber eyes fueled with rage. "No matter how close I get to killing her and Naraku they always slip away…"
"But…" I don't understand. "B-But why do they want me? How come… How come they're looking for me? I-I don't know them! I never met them, I-!"
"Maybe," Kagome softly interjected, "if they've gone so far as to put up wanted posters of you… it could have something to do with why you brought here to this time."
Shippō nodded his head, crossing his arms furiously. "I agree! It sounds like something Naraku would do. Capturing you and torturing you… he's such a bully!"
"If Kagura's on her way here we might as well stick around." Inuyasha said, glaring into the distance. "But first…" His eyes turned back to me. "We should probably take care of those wounds. They didn't go easy on you."
I shook my head, biting my lip. "I-It was worse… I-I managed to heal that, but… wh-when I was escaping I-I got shot. A-And I fell off a roof. Um." I sniffled. "K-Kagome, do… do you have any snacks? I… I'm really hungry." I tried not to feel guilty when her gaze became confused. "I-I threw up earlier…"
It took a few seconds for me to register that the rage that formed in her gaze was not directed at me. "Wait here." She said, standing up. Kagome was completely unperturbed by the fact that blood stained the front of her uniform top. "I'll make you something good! Naraku and Kagura… I'll make them pay for this! You did nothing wrong!"
"S-Sorry…"
"Don't apologize!" Now she's starting to sound like Inuyasha. I grabbed at my arm, wincing, and noted that it had stopped bleeding. How long was I asleep? Was I even asleep? I didn't know anymore. Today is a daze. "You're not at fault!"
Fingers twitching I tried to push myself up, coughing, and leaned my head back against the tree. How did the one prayer go again? I can't think… or focus. Gods. The fish Shikigami. I'm sorry for always asking this of you… Please, help me once more. Blue flames licked my fingers and I rested my palm against my wounded flesh, inhaling sharply as the coolness brushed the painful heat of infection. I was fully aware that Inuyasha and Shippō were watching me, but I didn't really care at the moment.
How did this work…? Oh wow, that feels amazing. So nice.
The flames darted up to my shoulder, sealing the arrow gash shut, before slowly spreading down my leg to reach my ankle. As I thanked the spirits for their generosity I gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep. Shortly after Kagome woke me up, noodles cooked in chicken broth greeting me. All of us sat down to eat the ramen; though for once I ate slower than the others. Afterwards I changed back into the green kimono I wore the past few days, the four of us trying to devise a plan on how to get back to the headman's to meet up with Kagura.
And I say the four of us, but it was really the three I was travelling with talking and debating. During their chatter I used my rescue inhaler.
"We can't just walk up with her; they might attack her again." Kagome lamented.
"Well, whattya suggest then?" Inuyasha demanded. "Kagura ain't just gonna wait for us!"
"We could just ask to talk to the headman… make him understand the situation!" Shippō suggested.
They weren't very great plans. In all honesty it reminded me that I was working with teenagers and a small child. Powerful teenagers with great intelligence, but… not so strategic out of battle. Wiping once more the blood off of my face, I mumbled, "...pretend… turn in…"
"Hah?" Inuyasha's ear twitched, the boy stopping mid-sentence to look at me. "What'd you say?"
I jumped, having not expected to actually be heard. I pulled my knees close to my chest, pretending that I didn't vividly remember the events of being beaten by both soldiers and villagers. "I-I just, I mean; they want me, right? So… you could, maybe, uh, pretend to turn me in?"
"Absolutely not!" Kagome was the first to protest. "It's too dangerous! They put an arrow in your arm, didn't they? We're not risking it."
"But you want to speak with the headman, right?" The emotion slowly leaked out of my voice, a sense of apathy washing over me as I thought about the most logical route to this situation. I shut down my feelings of fear and want, eyes becoming half-lidded. "To get to Kagura… you have to get through him. They were looking for me all day once I ran off. If you say you found me… they'll let you in. They did with the other guys."
"Other guys?" Inuyasha questioned. I didn't respond.
"It's fine. I can just… heal myself again once it's over. Doesn't matter."
"So," Shippō tried to make sense of this, "basically you want us to pretend we're from this town? And once we get in we take care of Kagura?" I nodded. "I get it! That could work! But… what if they take you away? If we try to help our cover might get blown… I don't like seeing you hurt, Irene. You're always getting injured. I think Kagome is right; it's pretty risky."
"Cell or house, it's too dangerous to just take you right in there!" Inuyasha crossed his arms, deep in thought. "We'll need to come up with something else. Splitting up was clearly a bad idea. Think… aha! Shippō!"
The fox demon jumped. "Uh, yes, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha grinned mischievously. "You can transform, can't you?"
"What!?"
My head snapped up, feeling rushing back into my heart once more. "N-No! Shippō isn't gonna do that! I refuse!" I tried to stand up and make my way over to hide the demon from view, but Inuyasha shot an arm out to stop me. "Hey-!"
"Even if they tie you up or try and hurt you, you can just transform back and escape!"
Shippō scowled. "Why do I always get the short end of the stick?"
I looked back-and-forth, dumbfounded. Kagome clapped her hands together, eyes lighting up. "That's a great idea! Nobody can figure out Shippō's disguises!" My hands dropped to my side. There was no winning, was there? They were already decided. My opinion was null. "You got this!"
"No one else can do this but you, Shippō." Inuyasha declared, encouraging the small demon. "We're counting on you."
The child's eyes grew wide. "Really?"
"Yes!" Kagome told him, smiling sweetly and kneeling down in front of him. "Will you do it? Please?"
Shippō looked at them for a long moment and then turned his gaze to me, determination filling his gaze. He clenched a tiny fist and raised it in the air, "Alright! I'll do it! No one will be able to figure me out! Here goes!" The fox demon reached into his vest and pulled out a leaf, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Resting the object against his forehead, he shouted, "Transform!"
A popping noise and a puff of smoke, and then Fake Irene was standing there dressed in the striped shirt and black jeans. She grinned widely, pressing her hands to her face. It was so unnerving to watch, and I leaned over just to check and- surely- there was no fox tail.
"How do I look!?" Gods, is that really my voice? I'm still not used to it. "I even remembered to hide my tail this time!"
"It's a perfect transformation!" Kagome awed, amazed by his skill. "Impressive!"
I sighed, really not liking this plan. "This is so weird…"
"Really?" Fake Irene asked, turning her big brown eyes in my direction. Her hair was a mess. "So… no one will be able to see through my magic? My disguise will work?"
"You've come this far!" Inuyasha said, a little too aggressively. "Are you really gonna give in now!? We need to get into the headman's house!"
Fake Irene yelped and stumbled back, running a few steps ahead. "I-I'm not scared! Now let's go! You're supposed to have c-captured me, haven't you? Act like it!" I made a face, praying that was just Shippō being himself and not his actual impression of me. "I-I'll show you guys what bravery looks like, because I'm the bravest of us all!"
Yes, yes. Kagome had Inuyasha and I stay back so we wouldn't blow their cover, and the two of us were left sitting in a tree. I remained close to the trunk, not wishing to fall from a high place a second time today, and fiddled with the cords tied through the sleeve hems. I hated this. Would Shippō really be okay?
I wouldn't put it past the guards to attack him with the way he was transformed; we were identical. I didn't want the child to get hurt. It was bad enough I had to go through it, but him or Kagome? It left a sour taste on my tongue, stomach churning uncomfortably and leaving me nauseous from stress. I really could go for a nap.
"Will you quit that?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at me. I stopped what I was doing. "You're making me nervous! They're gonna be fine, you got that?"
I said nothing, nodding uncertainly at his words. How could he be so confident? I was completely freaking out.
"Hey- did you hear that?"
"Huh?" I blinked, listening closely. In the distance there was a… hum. No, a buzz. Bees? "What is that?"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and jumped to a high branch, climbing the tree to get a better view. From above I could hear him curse, shouting profanities. "Saimyōshō!" I have no idea what that is. The half-demon leapt down from his perch and back onto the branch, causing me to cry out as it shook and I latched onto the trunk as best as I could. "They're in trouble! Grab on!"
"Wh-What-gyah!" He forcefully grabbed my arm and practically threw me onto his shoulder, leaving me very little time to wrap my arms around him as he jumped off the branch. "N-Not so fast-! Whoa!" My hands grabbed at his kimono and he held onto my legs, keeping me from slipping and falling. Inuyasha leapt expertly from building to building, running as fast as he possibly could and not slowing down for anything. "Wh-What's going on!?"
"The saimyōshō! They work for Naraku! If they're here that means Kagura- that Kagura- is as well! We have to hurry!"
It was hard to tell with Inuyasha's silver hair smacking me in the face, but buzzing around in the sky was a really nasty bug. With big red eyes and a yellow-and-black striped body… thick legs… eugh. So gross. I want to squash it. Vermin. I hate bugs. "Go faster, then!"
"What do you think I'm doing, stupid!?"
Everyone was in their houses sleeping, or at the very least getting ready for bed, which meant sneaking by was easy. As for Kagome and Shippō… I sat up straight, pointing in their direction. "I see them! Oh frick…" They were surrounded by demons. Only two, thank goodness, but they were still quite threatening. "Look out!"
One of the demons, a salamander dressed very closely to a Shinto priest, ran at Kagome with his claws held high. She was already sporting several wounds, multiple arrows in the other demon. Shippō's disguise was gone and he was throwing spinning tops left-and-right, but they weren't doing any damage. He was crying.
"Raaaah!" Inuyasha shouted, letting go of one of my legs to unsheathe his sword, and he leapt down from the rooftop to descend upon the attacking demons. "Not on my watch-!"
His blade ran through the creature swiftly, guts and blood flying everywhere. He dropped me and I landed harshly on the ground, grunting and grimacing at the movement, and I watched as he quickly took care of the other demon. "Inuyasha, Irene!" Kagome exclaimed, relieved. "You're here!"
The half-demon huffed, looking at us. "I came as soon as I saw the saimyōshō. You guys okay?"
Kagome nodded, knees scraped up and back a bit bloody from the demon's claw attacks. "Y-Yeah, for the most part. Just some minor injuries; I can still fight."
"I should hope so. That demon was as weak as could be! But it's no good sticking around if the saimyōshō are here."
I made a face, standing. "Okay, so… they work for Naraku. But… they don't look that tough? Just gross."
"Whatever the saimyōshō see, Naraku and Kagura can see." Kagome explained. "Which means that they probably already know we're here. Our only option is to head straight to the headman's house! I don't like this…"
"Do any of us?" I asked, sighing. Inuyasha chuckled darkly, fingers grasping the tetsusaiga tightly, the half-demon ready for battle.
"Here I come," He growled, threatening any demons that could be hiding, "you better get outta the way!"
Shippō snorted. "You look pretty excited about this."
"That's only because he loves to fight." Kagome said, a small smile on her face. I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, disturbed by how much time we were wasting by talking. "We should get going."
"Yes, please! Let's go, go, go!" I clapped my hands with a sense of urgency, a sense of dread building up in my stomach. "No time to waste!"
"Somebody help meeeee~!" A scream rang out as soon as I said that, chilling me to the bone. I recognized that voice. "D-Demon!"
Seriously? Does he really think that I would help him after what he put me through? That anyone would help him? He's a terrible person; I did nothing wrong, and he had his villagers and guards abuse me and toss me in a jail cell to rot until this Naraku villain had Kagura show up. If it weren't for the Shikigami I would have died. I refuse.
He can suffer, just like I did.
Or so I thought, but I found my feet moving against my better judgment. Before I knew it we were in his backyard- the headman pinned by several more demons. Shippō yelped. "H-He's surrounded by demons!" Freaking, no! I won't do it. He's a jerk! I hate him. "I-Inuyasha-!"
"Freaking hell; get out of the way!" I was panicking. My legs were moving and my hands were outstretched, and the giant floating head of a demon turned to look at me. Hands ignited with flames, I rammed them into its face and willed the fire to increase in size and heat, screeching like a wild banshee as I burned it alive. Fear and frustration welled up inside of me, and even as it opened its mouth and bit down on my left hand I didn't pull away. I latched down on the inside of its throat and dug my fingers even harder into its face. "Just die already! Die, die, die, die, die-!"
The red flames burned orange, which quickly turned yellow, then white. The demon tried to pull away, but found it couldn't- not without tearing out its insides. It was disgusting and gross and my hand burned from its acids, but I didn't give a damn. Not anymore. I was fuming. All the stress had built up until I could no longer take it; these demons were now the victims of my frustration. The flesh began to melt off of its face, revealing the bones beneath. It was quite morbid to watch and would surely haunt my dreams for many days to come. No one dared interfere- not even the other demons had the courage to burst into this horrifying sight. When the demon finally melted away I was left panting, shoulders slumped over and body encased in white hot flames. My very blood felt like it was boiling.
The flames burned bright at my call, turning white at my wrath. They were my own sword, acting upon my emotions. The spirits never responded to my thoughts in the first place; they only appeared when I was in distress, reacting to my feelings. I was barely aware of it. And the fire that was encasing me… I couldn't see it, but the flames had taken the form of an ox.
"I don't understand it!"
They're just monsters, preying on those weaker than them. Working for a cruel demon that thrived off of others suffering. Humans and demons are both sadists, evil in their own right, existing only to cause pain and bask in their own harsh pleasure. Freaking nightmares.
"What do you gain from hurting others!?"
The ox lowed, stomping its hooves. Letting out an enraged snort, the fiery beast charged. The demons didn't stand a chance, the centipede one melting at impact and the other- a skeletal bird- sustaining grievous injuries.
"Wh-Why…?" The headman, the villagers, the spider demon. Naraku and Kagura. "Why are you like this?"
And then the bird was flying at me, beak wide open as it aimed for my throat. It didn't get very far, having to divert its path to avoid the ox's next charge, and wound up being purified and destroyed by a holy arrow. Kagome lowered her hand, bow held close to her chest, a frown adorning her lovely face. I froze, brain taking a moment to catch up with the situation, and the realizations of my actions dawned on me.
The white flames turned blue, the ox bringing its head down in mourning and vanishing in sparks. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees, traumatized by own behavior. No matter how you look at it; I had no control over it. I gave in to my suppressed feelings and acted out of hatred and anger. I was absolutely frustrated and I took it out on those demons.
That was wrong of me.
I brought an arm to my face and covered my mouth, fighting back against the tears. My shoulders shook and I could hear the others run over, Kagome resting a hand cautiously on my shoulder as the blue flames faded away. The burns on my hand healed along with it, even going so far as to cure Kagome of her own inflictions. Shippō watched with big eyes as that happened. Inuyasha said nothing, simply observing.
"I-I don't know what just happened, but… that was amazing." Kagome told me gently, trying not to alarm me or set me off on another tangent. "You've really gotten more powerful."
No, I didn't. That wasn't me. It was the spirits. The Shikigami, acting upon my emotions. I screwed up big time. I refused to look at her, hiding my face with my arm.
"She was training while you were gone," Inuyasha finally said, "but… I don't think that was just her."
"What do you mean?"
Inuyasha opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by the headman. "Y-You saved me? Oh, thank you so much!" He crawled forward, stumbling to his feet and walking over to me. He bowed deeply. "I don't deserve your kindness!"
"Darn straight you don't!" Shippō shouted, jumping in front of me and holding his little arms out as if to protect me. "You guys were total bullies to Irene! All she did was ask some questions about her sister, and you guys up and kidnapped her! What gives you the right?"
"Sh-Shippō…" My voice cracked. Shakily lowering my arm, I reached out and pressed a hand to his head. The fox demon relaxed a little, but didn't move. "I-It's okay. Don't worry about it."
"No!" He shook his head. "They hurt you! They beat you so badly you couldn't even walk! I don't like them!"
I was stunned, but flattered. I looked up at the headman. "What… uh," I sniffed, "What happened, anyway?"
The headman never took his eyes off of me. "I was tricked by that woman- Kagura! I had no idea that the castle messenger was a demon!"
Inuyasha scoffed. "Kagura… where is she now!?"
"She's-"
The door to the headman's house slammed open and a young woman announced herself, a fan hiding her face as she scowled. "I thought I heard noises," The stranger said, closing the fan shut and revealing her face, "turns out it was you guys…"
She was completely, undeniably beautiful. Her long, wavy black hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, accentuated by several white feathers, her bangs cut in a fringe over her forehead. Earrings dangled from her pointed ears and her lips were painted a seductive shade of dark red, and her kosode… she was wearing three different layers. The outermost layer was colored white with purple stripes, bringing out the piercing vibrant red of her eyes. A yellow ribbon tied around her waist in place of an obi, the strings dangling loosely in the front. Her feet were completely bare, but that only added to her good looks.
This woman, whoever she was, was completely stunning. Her voice was low and sultry, and for a split second I found myself questioning my sexuality. "Oh? You have a new friend? I see… you must be the girl they were talking about. Yes," She narrowed her eyes at me, almost taking my breath away with her intense gaze, "you do look like the girl on the wanted poster, don't you?"
I was taken aback by the contempt in her voice. Why was she staring at me so coldly? I didn't do anything to her. Unless…
"Kagura!" Inuyasha snapped, fangs bared as he readied his sword. He pushed himself in front of us, as if trying to protect everyone. "So this is where you've been hiding!"
"Hmph. What's it to you?"
This woman… was Kagura? She was the one working for Naraku; the person who claimed to be a messenger from the castle? I never imagined her to be such a pretty demon. I supposed it made sense; not all mean demons are hideous and grotesque. "You…"
She turned her head, the dark-haired beauty looking down at me once more. "What is it?"
My fingers twitched and slowly curled into fists, flames alighting on my fingers as the rage buried deep inside me sparked once more. "I-It was you…?" She was the one who caused all this pain? Who sent the posters, and caused the villagers and guards to beat me up? It was all her fault? "You did this…?
"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific." Kagura tapped her fan lightly against her chin. "I've done many things in my lifetime. I could share, if you'd like…"
I hate her. I want to burn her. I want to make her hurt.
"I'm gonna take that as a yes." My face went blank, seeing her patronizing stare. That smirk needed to be smacked right off of her lips. "Which means… I have a question for you, Kagura."
"Oh?" She looked amused. "And what would that be?"
I stepped forward, expression darkening considerably as I glared. "Where. Is. Maria?"
Kagura thought for a moment, humming to herself, opening her fan and turning her head, glancing at me from the corner of her eyes. From the way her eyes narrowed, I knew she was smiling as she asked in a sweet voice, "...Who? Never heard of her."
Inhaling sharply, my breath came out shakily as I resisted the urge to just throw all common sense out of the window and lunge at her. My fists were trembling. "If you or that… Naraku… hurt her, o-or… were even the ones who brought us here…"
"What? You gonna fight me, little girl?"
Inuyasha watched me carefully as I took another step forward. I raised a hand, watching it flicker with white hot flames. "If I have to, I will." I'm done. I'm sick of this. Toying with people, hurting them. I'll make them all pay for it. "You brought me and my sister here, so you sure as hell better send. Us. Back."
"Send you back?" She lowered her fan and brought it out to her side, arm raised high in the air. Her smirk was taunting as the wind around us picked up speed. Shippō squealed and dashed over to Kagome, hiding behind her leg as she readied her bow, and the headman ran out of the backyard to the back alleys of the town. "Now why would I do something like that?"
"Kagura…" Inuyasha growled, feet pounding against the ground as he charged at her. He raised his sword high into the air. "I'm gonna cut you to shreds! RAAH!"
"Dance of blades!" She shouted, waving her fan through the air. The wind grew more intense, the woman somehow creating a gust of air that quickly morphed into several crescent-shaped blades. "You fools! You really think you can defeat me!? I am the wind sorceress!"
Inuyasha deflected the majority of the blades thrown at him, being knocked back by the force of them. Several managed to slip past and cut up his sleeves, and I shouted as I attempted to leap out of the way. Before he could recover Kagura set loose another wave of wind blades, injuring him even further. Kagome drew back her arrow to attack, but the female demon brought her fan up into the air and created an incredibly strong gust of air. It sent both the teenager and Shippō flying back, and Inuyasha had to plant his sword into the ground to prevent himself from being blown away.
I was no exception either, and I found myself crashing hard into the nearby shed. "Ack-!" I coughed. That really hurt. Winded from the blow, it took a few seconds for me to try and get up. "K-Kagome, Shippō!"
"She's too strong!" The fox demon wailed. "Kagome, get up!"
"I-I'm working on it." She grabbed her bow, readying another arrow as she sat up. "Fighting her is never easy."
"If I can just-!" Inuyasha yanked his sword out of the ground. "But if I do that, the entire village might suffer damage… Damn it! I can't use my Wind Scar here!"
"Ha!" Kagura laughed. "Pathetic fools! You can't even get near me!"
Wait. Though dizzy and currently fussing about for my rescue inhaler, I remembered something. The ox from before… it charged straight at the enemy. If I can somehow get that to appear again, then-! I shook my inhaler and turned it, using it and holding my breath for ten seconds. Exhale, inhale, process repeats. Coughing painfully, I tried to trudge forward.
Several arrows flew through the air, the only thing being able to surpass Kagura's winds. "Why you-!"
"Take this!" Inuyasha shouted, running in close with sword in hand. "Tetsusaiga!"
Kagura turned and cried out when it hit her, the blade running hard against her torso. Blood spattered everywhere, and in her rage she swung her fan at him. Several wind blades hit him and tore up his kimono even more, Inuyasha bleeding all over the red fabric. He grimaced, but a grin was worn on his face. The half-demon was confident he could win this. The woman growled. "I'll get you for that, you mutt! Dance of the Dragon!"
The wind picked up so much speed that even my hair was smacking me in the face, my bangs poking my eyes so much I had to physically hold them up to see what was going on. To my horror several tornadoes appeared out of thin air, running rampant and destroying everything that was around them. Inuyasha leapt to the side and darted around them, avoiding them as best as he possibly could, before being forced to get near them to rescue Kagome and Shippō who were still on the ground.
"Inuyasha-!" Kagome screamed as a whirlwind neared her, just in time for the half-demon to pick her up and place her safely on a nearby roof. "Oh god…"
I was not so lucky.
"Irene!" Shippō cried. "Inuyasha, what about Irene!?"
"I'm getting there, damn it! Rescuing you all takes time!" Feeling the wind pressure trying to drag me towards the tornado I latched onto the shed door, struggling to open it. If I could just get inside I would have some form of cover, right? I wouldn't die immediately upon being touched by the whirlwind. "Watch out!"
The door handle broke. Before I could process that the one thing keeping me from being sucked into the tornado was gone, I was already flying back into the crazy wind. There was a flash of red and a scream, but it didn't belong to me. As the tornado dispersed and we fell to the ground, my brain registered that it was Inuyasha's. His back was completely shredded at this point, covered in blood and torn cloth. He had…
He had shielded me from Kagura's attack. Inuyasha took the fall for me.
Pushing his arms off of me I sat up, shaking him fearfully. "I-Inuyasha? Inuyasha, wake up! Hey! No, no, no! Don't do this! Inuyasha!"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, seeing from her spot on the roof that he was unconscious. "Inuyasha!"
"F-Firebombs!" Shippō cried, throwing the objects futilely at Kagura. They exploded as soon as they made contact with her gust of wind. "Oh no… with Inuyasha passed out, we can't win this! What should we do!?"
Heal. Heal him. I-I can heal him, right? That's a thing I can do.
"Dance of blades!"
I screamed and ducked down, covering the wounded half-demon's body with my own. "I only need one of you alive," Kagura declared, turning her fierce eyes towards Kagome and Shippō. She moved her fan through the air, "the rest are as good as dead!"
I got up and shook Inuyasha again, trying to wake him up. He wouldn't budge. I cringed and placed my hands over the most serious wound, putting pressure to stop the bleeding. The red liquid seeped over my fingers, staining my hands. "I-Inuyasha!"
Kagome screamed in the distance as the building she was on got destroyed, leaving her and Shippō sailing through the air and crashing hard onto the ground. They weren't moving. Kagura hid her face again, eyes half-lidded.
"K-Kagome… Shippō…!"
"Well, that was easier than expected…"
No. This isn't happening. I won't allow it.
Flames appeared out of thin air, blue and sorrowful. Tears blurred my vision and my breath was completely gone. Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippō… they were all dying because of me. It's my fault. I should have tried harder to convince them, I-!
Kagura stepped forward, reaching out to pull a feather from her hair. "That's that, then… oh?" She finally noticed the fire, watching as two koi fish swam high into the air, creating a tsunami of flame. "So you really can use the Shikigami… interesting."
I won't be able to live with myself… if these kind people die. If they fade away how am I going to explain it to Kaede? To these Sango and Miroku people they talk so fondly about? What about Kagome's family? I refuse to be held responsible.
"Sadly your attempts are futile~!"
She thrust her fan through the air, several wind blades shooting out towards me. I flinched, bracing myself for pain- only none never came. It was sudden and shocking, and the wind blades bounced right off the tetsusaiga. Inuyasha was on one knee, the wounds on his body gradually healing. I hadn't even noticed, but the blue flames had extended across the ground, wrapping around my allies. The koi fish were controlling them, swimming along and giving us their blessings. Even my own wounds were healed.
"Nice try," Inuyasha barked, "but we're not goin' down that easily! Irene, Kagome! Let's go!"
"H-Hah!?"
"On it!"
Wait, why am I included in this too? Oh, whatever; at least I know what I'm doing now. The three of us standing, Inuyasha readied himself for an attack. Kagome notched an arrow, aiming at Kagura and preparing to shoot. Shaking my head incredulously for being considered a battle companion, I focused. The blue light around me got stronger and the koi fish swam upwards, spinning in their own little whirlwind of flame. Eventually the koi grew longer, transforming into something bigger and more threatening.
A dragon.
It roared loudly and electricity crackled around it as it opened its mouth and swallowed Inuyasha whole. The half-demon let out a battle cry and Kagome released her arrow. Tetsusaiga glowing blue, Inuyasha brought the blade down with a mighty swing. The demonic energy that was swirling around it seemed to only be strengthened by Kagome's arrow, the light and darkness combining together. Added with my Shikigami, there was no way Kagura could deflect his Wind Scar.
And she tried- Kagura waved her fan about to try and control the winds, but it was futile against our combined efforts. As it made contact Kagura let out an ear-piercing scream, blood spilling from her body and kosodes tearing. Before it could run completely through her, however, an orange flame wrapped around her body- shielding her from the rest of the damage.
"What was that!?" Inuyasha demanded. The Wind Scar died out and the flame around Kagura faded, the wind sorceress holding an arm across her bloodied chest. A bright light flashed and the I was the one screaming, intense burning pain erupting all over my body. "Hey!"
"Irene!"
"What's going on!?"
"Shikigami…?" Kagura grunted, watching with wide eyes. "A-Anastasia?"
The pain died down as the flame dispersed and I collapsed to my knees, palms against the ground as I tried to catch my breath. I was so dizzy. "Th-That was… huh?" It was a Shikigami alright, but it was so much bigger than my own and far more deadly. Several burns ran along my arms now, kimono singed in multiple places. "Ana… who?"
A wicked grin crossed Kagura's face as a new person approached. "Naraku sent someone to help me… hmph. Don't expect any thanks."
Inuyasha stepped forward, brandishing his tetsusaiga and pointing it at the newcomer. "Stop! You'll be sorry if you get in my way!"
"Be careful!" Kagome warned, walking forward until she was beside him, pointing her bow at the masked stranger. "I don't think this is a normal demon…"
"I don't care what it is! He snapped. "I'll destroy anything that gets in my way! Take this- WIND SCAR~!"
The masked stranger watched in silence, raising a hand in the air just as Inuyasha attacked. Red flames danced from her palms and wrapped around her body protectively, rendering the half-demon's attack useless as it only wrecked chaos around everything else around him. Kagome dropped her arrow as the ground shook, leaping to the side with Shippō in her arms to avoid getting struck by the wild demonic energy. "Gah!"
"K-Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, only to bring his sword up in the air to shield himself. I yelped and threw myself to the ground, avoiding the electric currents. "Damn it! My attack was useless!"
The masked stranger lowered her head, vanquishing the red light at will. Who was she? The woman was dressed as a priestess, but the mask… it resembled that of a demon.
"The Wind Scar was so easily repelled!" Shippō exclaimed, unable to believe what had happened.
"You're wasting your time," The stranger spoke, her empty voice causing my eyes widen, "Now it's my turn."
Bringing her pale, dainty hands up into the air she called upon the spirits; large red flames danced at her feet, coiling around her arms and hands as though they were snakes. With each step she took the flames grew brighter and hotter, until they were a brilliant gold color.
"Dance with my reign!"
Snakes were coiled around her, and as she held her hands out the fiery beasts shot outwards- enlarging into huge pythons and burying their fangs into Inuyasha's left arm and right shoulder. The half-demon cried out, the yellow flame snakes wrapping their lower halves around his throat and burning his flesh with their heat. "Ow! Fuck! Get off of me!" He tried to grab at them, his hands passed right through their fire. The only thing Inuyasha succeeded in doing was hurting himself more.
The Shikigami removed themselves and slithered back to their master, hissing and baring their fangs at the half-demon, before disappearing into sparks. "Yes… such a beautiful color."
Slowly pushing myself up, I stared at the stranger with confused eyes. The body structure was entirely wrong, but the voice… it was unmistakable. There's no way.
"The color of your blood is like the setting sun," The woman praised, though her voice lacked any emotion, "it's so lovely…"
Inuyasha looked greatly disturbed. "What are you talking about?"
"You…" I began shakily, pushing myself to my feet. The masked stranger turned her head, staring at me from behind that terrifying mask. "Who are you? You're not… no. But… why?"
"Are you the girl?" The woman asked. "I see…"
"Why are you after me?" I demanded, stepping forward. Red light flickered to life at my fingertips. "How come… How come you have Maria's voice!?"
"Maria!?" Shippō gasped. "Irene, you don't think-?"
I shook my head, lips curling back and teeth grinding together in frustration. The masked stranger tilted her head, humming thoughtfully. "Not… her. It's not her. But it… it sounds like her." I glared at the newcomer. "How come you sound like her!?"
"I wonder…" The woman monotonously taunted. She turned her head and I scowled, wishing I could see her jerkish face. Did she think she was better than us? How arrogant. "Hmph. Kagura, I found what I came here for. I'm leaving."
Kagura huffed, yanking a feather out of her hair bun. "Whatever. Be that way."
The small feather somehow managed to increase in size, becoming large enough for the two to sit on. It moved quickly, Kagura manipulating the wind to accelerate their speed, and Inuyasha was left chasing after as they escaped. "Get back here, you cowards! Our fight wasn't finished, damn it!" He climbed onto the rooftop of a half-destroyed building, waving his sword at them.
Meanwhile Kagome was carrying Shippō, running outside to make sure no one had gotten caught up in the battle. I stood, staring into the distance from where the two bad guys had taken off. No matter how I tried to think about it nothing made sense. Anastasia… that was her name, right? What Kagura called her? She was short with little hands, bearing no physical resemblance to my sister that I could see.
But her voice… it was there. Blank and empty, so unlike my passionate sibling, but her voice all the same. She clearly had use of the Shikigami, far more powerful than I am or could ever be, which left me at a loss. Was she not a demon? Can demons even work with Shikigami? I know I can combine my powers with Shippō and, as was shown in the last battle, Inuyasha. But was a demon themselves able to use the power without it being casted by someone different? Was Anastasia a voice stealer?
Or was it… Naraku?
If they hurt Maria or took her someplace scary- I won't forgive them.
"Oh, thank goodness!" The headman exclaimed, stepping into the wreckage with Kagome and Shippō right behind them. He looked completely distraught at the state of his home, but was otherwise relieved that the danger was gone. "You defeated the demons!"
"Are you blind!?" Inuyasha snapped, leaping down from his perch and walking over. He sheathed his sword. "Can't you see that they just ran away!?"
"Don't be so cross, Inuyasha!" Kagome told the half-demon, raising her voice some. Then she softened it, a sympathetic expression on her face. "He's a victim too…"
Oh. Right. I turned my head, watching in silence as the conversation took place.
"Thank you for your understanding!" The headman exclaimed, before his gaze landed on me. I tensed, resisting the urge to back away as he neared. "And you- I am so sorry; I had no idea that the messenger from the castle would be a demon! She had me completely under her spell! I knew from the moment I saw you that you just couldn't be a criminal, but my loyalty to the castle… it outshone my judgment. Please, forgive me…"
Closing my eyes, I inhaled shakily to calm the wrath that was still unsettled. Then, as quickly as it came… the rage simmered down and a wave of cold hard defeat washed over me. I couldn't hate him. I couldn't hate anyone. I wanted to, but… I just felt sad. That's all there was to it. What made them feel as though they had to act this way? That hurting others… was the right thing to do? What did they gain from it?
I didn't understand.
And besides, I'm fine. The Shikigami healed me. "You… I mean, it's not… entirely your fault." I sighed. "Kagura and… Anastasia are the ones to blame. You were doing your job a-and they… took advantage of that."
"Oh, you are so forgiving!" He cried, a smile crossing his face. The headman stepped forward, startling me when he suddenly grabbed my hands. "You're such an angel!"
Shippō, no longer in Kagome's arms, dashed forward and put himself in front of me- surprising the headman and causing him to let go. I stepped back, cradling my hands to my chest protectively after having my personal bubble violated. "I-I think that's taking things too far!" The fox demon exclaimed, holding his arms in front of me. "She doesn't like being touched like that!"
"Y-Yeah… um. Please don't." I stammered, disturbed by the man's actions. "A-And I'm not an angel. I'm not even that nice, so…"
"Don't say that!" Kagome frowned at me, before offering a sad smile. "You really are kind, Irene. Why can't you see that?"
"I mean, I try, but, uh, you're the nice one here."
Kagome giggled at the compliment, but didn't seem too pleased at my self-deprecation. She stepped forward, helping Shippō hide me from the headman's view. Inuyasha was currently glaring at the man, who doesn't seem to quite realize that he did something wrong. "Anyway, from what Kagura and that strange woman was saying… Naraku has something to do with you and your sister being in this time. And if Anastasia has the same voice as your sister it's highly possible they're keeping her captive."
"Y-yeah…" I bit my bottom lip, nervous. "I-I think they stole her voice or something. Like what Ursula did with Ariel."
Kagome blinked, eyes widening as realization dawned on her. "Oh! You mean like from the movie?" I nodded. "I… well, I suppose that could be a thing. We don't know what all Naraku is capable of; he might have found a demon who could steal voices. Maybe Anastasia's capable of it?"
"Or maybe," Inuyasha interrupted, scowling at the very thought of the demon, "it's just another one of his tricks! Maybe he doesn't have Maria at all."
"Yeah!" Shippō agreed. "Besides, we all know Naraku isn't gonna be leaving us alone anytime soon!"
"The next time I see him or any of his friends, I'll finish them off!" Inuyasha swore, arms crossed. "They won't get away."
"Before that… why don't we head back to Kaede's village for now?" Kagome suggested, resting a hand gently on my shoulder so not to startle me. Her hand was a lot more welcoming. It helped me to relax. "We've been through a lot and… well, I think we could use the rest."
"Yeah." I nodded slowly, thinking deeply about the new information we uncovered. "Rest is… nice."
Somewhere during our conversation the headman left the area, rummaging through the remains of his house that wasn't completely destroyed by Kagura's winds or Inuyasha's tetsusaiga. After talking a bit longer about what our plans were going to be we headed outside- or, rather, to be more precise we went to where the front gate used to be. We had just walked out when the headman called out to us. "Everyone, please wait!"
I took that chance to hide behind Kagome and Inuyasha, who I noticed were standing a bit too close to each other. Yeah. Frick, with the time travel is okay to encourage them? Should I discourage them because of the heartbreak they might face? What is one supposed to do in this situation? If they get together and Kagome ends up choosing to stay in her own time, or is forced to remain there, they'll both be heartbroken.
But if Kagome chooses to stay here… she'll lose her whole family. Is someone, just one person, truly worth all that heartache?
It's funny.
I'm questioning their relationship and the consequences they have, all the while being a total hypocrite. Haven't I already decided that I'm going to go with whatever Maria chose? Have I been lying to myself all along thinking she would make the choice… when my heart was actually set on us going home?
I want… whatever makes Maria happiest. But I also… don't want to stay here. It's scary. The only reason I can breathe is because of Kagome and her family lying and conning doctors into giving them medicine. If Kagome ends up staying home… what will become of me? I'll die off, rotting away. Who will Maria have with her then?
I don't know. I'm thinking about this too much.
I should just focus on the present.
So lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the headman approach and hand Kagome a bag full of coins. The headman claimed that the money was actually for me, as a thank you for our help and an apology for what his guards and villagers had done. Shippō was freaking out over the idea of buying lots of candy, so excited to munch of sweets. Kagome tried to hand it to me, but I refused. "I-I don't… I mean, I'm grateful, but-"
"It's okay." What? I looked up at Inuyasha, who grinned at me from over his shoulder. "Take it. You deserve it."
I disagree.
"It comes from good intentions," Kagome said, supporting the half-demon and trying to convince me to grab the bag, "you should accept it. Don't be so selfless all the time; it's okay to be a little greedy."
"I-I don't want to take advantage of-"
"I want you to have it." The headman said, smiling warmly at me. I tried not to cringe. "Please."
"Urk… okay. Fine." I yanked the bag out of Kagome's hand, shoving it into my kimono with the rest of the money I had. Frustrated, I became a little aggressive. I faced the headman, nodding and using my customer service skills to the best of my ability. Voice taking on a sweet tone, rather resembling that of Maria whenever she was on the phone with customers, I said, "Thank you! I hope your house gets rebuilt soon!"
"Agreed." He cast a disgruntled look at the wreckage behind him. "It will take some time… but we'll get it done. Thank you so much for your help."
"Anytime! And, uh, next time you see a woman with red eyes… she's probably a demon." The headman blinked, squinting and watching as I gestured to Inuyasha. "Exhibit A; silver hair, gold eyes. Exhibit B," I knelt down next to Shippō and placed a hand on the small child's head, causing him to blink, "the pupils in his eyes are slit and he has a tail! Unusual hair, eyes, or other characteristics? Probably a demon. Or at least not a hundred percent human, anyway."
"Y-Yes… I'll keep that in mind. Thank you again!" He headed back into the debris, calling for his guards. Several of which that were already dead- whether they were eaten by demons or killed by Kagura. Oh gods. I hadn't even noticed them before. With the buildings destroyed their bodies had come falling out into the open for all to see. Oh gods. I quickly looked away, bringing a hand up to my mouth and trying my darndest not to throw up. "This is terrible…"
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